Soul of the Seal: The Ninja Adventures
by MrDust
Summary: EpFic1 The same village, the same life, but having one foxy friend will make all the diffrence. Please review, it's the whole point.
1. SOTS,0,00,00

(AN: For disclaimer, see my profile, and also, help me with my goal to have it possible for submissions to display colored text!)

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**SOTS-0-00-00**

**Soul of the Seal - (Story#) - (Arc#) - (Chapter#)**

**Prologue: "Basic Instructions"**

* * *

At a not-so-proud time in the history of the Village Hidden in the Leaves...

The small scruffy blonde boy ran as fast as he could down a park path in the depths of his so-called 'home village'.

"No... pweeze... not a'gan... not a'gan... why? Why?" He choked raggedly, looking over his shoulder to see the angry woman chasing him with a thick branch she had picked up.

"Get back here you wretched monster! I'll crack your skull open for stealing from me!" She hissed viciously.

Steal? Ha. The four year old Naruto Uzumaki certainly didn't consider it stealing when you catch a half mangled loaf of bread out of mid air when it had been aimed at a garbage can. The bread was perfectly good, the woman simply didn't want it. Naruto had grabbed it, and unfortunately, the woman had seen him. Now she was heartlessly chasing the hungry boy, accusing him of stealing what she would never have missed.

In one of the many parks of Konoha, the two ran along the path at the edge of a moderately steep hill. It was actually no small feat that the small four-year-old could manage to keep a pace ahead of the angry adult. But then again, the boy had lots of daily practice... whether he wanted it or not. He was already developing an instinct for speed and trickery... from his own people.

The woman, loosing ground, took a frantic swing at Naruto in a last attempt to rip his head off, but he dived to avoid the hard branch, clutching his bread in his arms as he tumbled down the hill. The woman didn't see this however, being thrown off balance by her swing as she tripped and fell to her opposite side. Naruto tried to stop himself, clutching the bread with one arm while throwing out his other, along with his legs, to brace himself. But even as he nearly twisted an ankle, and a rock scraped his arm...

"**Curl up and roll!**" A voice urgently called.

Naruto instantly did exactly that, tucking in tight. But of course, that caused his speed to increase as he hurtled down the hill, crashed through some bushes, and slammed into a tree. Head first.

The woman managed to pick herself up and quickly looked around for the 'demon brat', but saw nothing in any direction. Grumbling, she threw away her make-shift weapon and brushed off her hands on her dress skirt. She went back to the picnic she had been trying to enjoy.

* * *

Naruto whimpered as he slowly pulled himself up. He didn't feel too bad, but blinked in confusion as he realized his bread was gone, and he was kneeling in... water? He slowly sat up, looking around at the place he did _not _remember being in last.

It was a _huge_ room, somewhat dark even with some light that came from nowhere. The ceiling was plain and bare, so was the floor except for the two or so inches of water on it, water that was coming out of multitudes of cracks in the three walls that seemed to be masoned stone of relative new status, despite the obviously quick wear and tear it had been subjected to. In one wall was a opening of a hallway that went off into darkness, and Naruto could see rows of metal doors down both sides of the hall in what light there was. But opposite of the hallway, where the fourth wall should have been, was, in fact, open air. Almost.

The tall bars that made the giant gate seemed to be made of plain iron. In the middle, where the thicker sides of the two massive gates met, there was no key hole, at least not a conventional one. Rather, it had strange spiraling latch mechanism connecting the bars. Beyond the bars was only darkness.

Naruto stood up, trying to understand how he had gotten from outside, to this strange place. His heart beat faster. Maybe someone had caught him and brought him here. Maybe they wanted to lock him away forever. Maybe they were going to torture him, beating him over and over...

"**No one can hurt you here. Except yourself.**" A somewhat loud, if soft-toned, feminine voice rang out in the room. Naruto jumped, but nowhere near as badly as one might expect a child to in such a situation as it is. That's because he knew the voice, in a way. Or at least, he had heard it before.

"Who...?" He said weakly, looking around. His attention was caught by a slight red glow that appeared from beyond the bars. He looked carefully, noticing a massive silhouetted form. Then a pair of bright eyes opened in the darkness, clearly visible and distinct. The whites pristine and clear of any blemish, while irises as red as fine polished rubies encased silted pupils. The eyes looked down at Naruto _without _hatred or anger.

"**So. This is the time. We can finally meet face to face... after a fashion.**" The feminine voice, now obviously coming from the shadowed form, sighed.

"I... I hear... you... b'for..." Naruto said slowly, struggling with his words. "You... tlk... to... me... b'for."

"**Yes. I've spoken to you a few times before now. We are in your mind. That is why, while you could hear me, you couldn't see me.**" She explained. Silence filled the room for a few moments as she realized her mistake. "**I'll try to talk slower.**" She said as she saw Naruto trying hard to understand what she was saying. "**By Arceus... Look at you. Four years old, and yet you can barely even speak.**" She lamented slightly. After a minute to understand her, Naruto's head drooped as his lip quivered.

"That... b'cus... no one... t-teeth?... Teeth me?" He had to ask his statement due to his uncertainty of the word.

"**Tea_ch_. Because no one would tea_ch_ you.**" She patiently corrected, noticing him mumble to himself.

"Tea_ch_. Tea_ch_. Tea_ch_." He chanted, forcing himself to absorb the proper pronunciation. He looked up at her. "Why... you... here? Why I here?" He asked, feeling calmer, but still a bit unnerved. "We... in... my... h-head?"

"**Yes. We are inside you. And I am here, because I will teach you.**" She replied, instantly getting Naruto's full attention.

"You... teach... me?" He asked, in obvious disbelief. His face fell again just as quickly. "... Why?"

"**Because I must. Because no one else will. Because you deserve better!**" Her voice increased, accompanied by a massive rumbling growl that caused Naruto to yelp and jump back several feet. Seeing his reaction, she flinched back away from the bars herself. "**I'm sorry... I'm not angry with you.**" She cast her eyes to the floor.

"I... kant... see you." Naruto said, squinting into the darkness. Almost instantly, the light around them increased, and Naruto was able to see her. Beyond the bars lay a giant of an animal with many tails slowly waving around itself. It was not quite like anything Naruto had ever seen, though he did know one thing about it. "You... You...!" He pointed as his eyes widened. The giant red-furred fox dipped her head further.

"**So. You do know what I am.**" She muttered sadly.

"CUTE FUZZY!" Naruto screamed in delight, causing her to snap back to attention, seeing him having repositioned himself to right at the bars with a huge smile on his face.

"**Uh... well... I, uh...**" She spluttered, quite taken aback by his reaction. '_**Then again, I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Animals are the only friends he has. But still... cute?**_' She thought in pleased embarrassment.

"Bunny?" Naruto asked, looking at her long ears.

"**No. Kitsune. Kyuubi no Kitsune.**" She regained her composure and carefully shifted forward, putting her face near the gate bars. Looking into his happy dirty face was enough to cause her to start purring lightly. '_**For him to smile at all is a major achievement.**_' She thought in approval.

"Kyu-... Nnnnine... t-taaaiiiled... f-fox?" Naruto said slowly, wracking his brain for the thoughts.

"**Yes. Very good. I think you'll learn plenty fast with your lessons.**" She nodded slowly, as to not startle him, but she noticed past him that the walls of the room had changed slightly. The water had stopped flowing from the cracks, and even a few of the cracks seemed to be slowly disappearing. Turning her focus back to Naruto, she flicked her tongue over her nose, causing him to giggle slightly. "**Just listening to those around you has managed you to learn a little. The words you hear in conversation the most. Very impressive.**" She said. Naruto paused, tilting his head.

"Worrrds... I hear... most?" He asked, then his smile disappeared as his head dropped again. "Monster, freak, demon, wretch, thing-" He mumbled in misery.

"**NO!**" Kyuubi barked out, causing him to fall backwards, splashing into the water that was once again flowing out of the cracks in the walls. "**Don't say those words. They're not for you.**" She ordered. Naruto's look of fear was brief as it was immediately replaced by confusion.

"Not... for... me?" He asked, as he hesitantly picked himself up out of the water. Kyuubi forced herself to calm down.

"**I'm sorry. I guess this will take some time after all.**" She sighed. "**But it's very important that we don't give up. It'll take a lot to get you a better life.**" She gazed at him in thought. "**And I have one idea that will have a better chance of succeeding than most... but... It'll be very hard.**" She said cautiously.

"You... get me... b-b-betttter... life? How?" Naruto asked, worried at what could be harder than the life he already had.

"**To get people to stop hurting you, to get them to respect who you are, rather than despise what you are... The best way to accomplish that, is for you to become a ninja.**" She watched him carefully as she told him. As expected, his fear burst out again.

"Ninja? No... bad... hurt..." He trembled, thinking of the terrifying people that were different than the other villagers. He couldn't escape them as easily. They always seemed to find all but his best hiding spots.

"**I know, I know. Yes, they can be very scary. But that's because they're strong. If you become strong like them, they won't be as scary anymore. If you become strong, you can help yourself.**" Kyuubi explained, purring again to try to keep Naruto calm. "**That is, unfortunately, the best way to keep yourself safe in this world. Being strong, both by yourself, and in your determination to change what others think of you.**"

"De-t... De-t..." Naruto frowned slightly at the unfamiliar word.

"**De-ter-mi-na-tion. It means... well, it means you won't quit. You won't ever give up. But I'll explain that and other things in due time. Just know, that from now on, just as I've always been, I'll be with you. And I'll help you as best I can.**" Kyuubi looked past Naruto to the hallway opposite her cage, as a light began to shine from far off. "**But now, you have to wake up.**" Naruto looked at her confused.

"Wake up? What-" He wasn't able to finish.

* * *

Naruto blinked as he slowly sat up. He looked around. He was in the bushes next to the tree he had bumped into. He looked down to see his mangled bread still tucked in his arm. His eyes and cheeks were wet, like they strangely always were whenever he awoke from sleeping. After checking to make sure the angry woman that had chased him was nowhere in sight, he scrambled away to find the closest of his hiding places.

Said hiding place actually turned out to be his recent discovery. A vacant and abandoned apartment building that, for whatever unknown reason, was seemingly ignored or forgotten by everyone else. Naruto had found one room that still had running water pipes. It had taken him a week to gather any of the usable furniture and various other objects from the rest of the building to make the one room even half comfortable, if you could call it that. Naruto went over to his 'kitchen' and set down his bread. Taking a moment to take a slightly dented metal cup from the side of the sink, he turned the water on low and spent a few minutes rinsing it out. He kept the water on low because he didn't want to risk anyone hearing the water running through the pipes.

Satisfied that the cup was clean enough, he filled it and sat down on the floor to eat his hard-earned meal. Even though it was just starting to turn stale, the bread was definitely better than most of what he usually had to pull out of dumpsters of restaurants. All too quickly it was gone, leaving Naruto to have to begin thinking where to try to find his next meal.

"**I have a few suggestions.**" A woman's voice said. Naruto jumped five feet into the air and flipped over, landed on his back, rolled into the corner next to his bed and yanked a wooden board up to shield himself.

"NO! NO!" Naruto screamed in panic.

"**Shhh, It's ok, it's just me. Remember? Big fuzzy?**" Kyuubi purred softly. Naruto looked over top of the board he was holding and looked around to see no one. "**I'm inside you, remember? That's why only you can hear me.**"

"But... it... was... d-drrream?" Naruto asked slowly to the empty room.

"**No, not a dream. I'm real. I'm inside you.**" Kyuubi said again. Naruto slowly stood up and walked over to the small piece of mirror that was set against the wall. He looked at his reflection.

"Wha-... Where... are... you?" He asked slowly.

"**Lift up your shirt. Look at your stomach.**" Kyuubi instructed. After a moment to understand what she meant, Naruto pulled the edge of his battered brown shirt up to his chest. A wonderful warmth suddenly filled his body, and Naruto's eyes widened as a pattern of black marks appeared that surrounded his bellybutton as well as covering a portion of his abdomen. "**There, see? That's me. That's where I am. I'm real.**" Kyuubi clarified.

"You... that..." Naruto fell down on his butt in shock. He looked down at himself, and poked at the black marks. "How... you... get there?" He asked with wondered curiosity.

"**Ah... That's probably not the best subject to discuss just yet. But I promise I will tell you eventually. But for now...**" Kyuubi's voice became serious, "**Lets work on getting you more to eat.**" She said, which definitely got Naruto's attention.

"Eat? What?" He asked eagerly.

'_**Well, as much as I'd like to get some real meat into him, it would be very difficult for him to get in and out of the butcher quarter, not to mention that those shops are already full of sharp knives and other things that would be a threat to him. So...**_' Kyuubi pondered. "**Ok, head for the market. It's going to be more bread, fruit and vegetables for you."**

"Veg-ies? Yuk." Naruto stuck out his tongue.

"**It's either that... or nothing.**" Kyuubi said quietly. Naruto flinched. He looked around his empty little hideaway.

"Sooory." He mumbled as he exited the apartment.

"**There's one more thing, something that's more important than anything else. You can't talk to me out loud when you're around others. If you do, and the bad people realize what you're doing, they'll kill you immediately.**" She warned. Naruto opened his mouth to respond, but then quickly shut it again. Feeling his worry and confusion, Kyuubi explained. "**All you have to do, is think your words for me to hear. Do you understand? Think your words, like when you hear your own voice in your head.**"

Naruto paused. Most of what he did he did out of instinct. He only ever spent much time thinking when he was alone and temporarily safe. Taking time to think while dealing with the villagers usually caused him to get hurt all the worse. But if the fuzzy said it would keep him from being hurt more...

'_Think... like... this?_' He tried tentatively.

"**Yes, like that. Whenever you want to talk to me while you're awake, you have to think your words. Things will become easier to understand in time.**" Kyuubi said as Naruto headed for the market area.

* * *

The first couple of months were spent with Kyuubi teaching Naruto two things. The first was his language skills. Including speaking, reading and writing. The first was the easiest. With Kyuubi actually _talking _to Naruto instead of just yelling obscenities like the villagers did, Naruto was able to pick up plenty of the normal, every day common knowledge that had been denied him. His speech became less choppy, and more certain. The reading and writing however was more difficult. Since it was next to impossible for Naruto to get his hands on any specific reading material, mostly due to the fact that he wasn't allowed into the supposedly public library, Kyuubi had to make due with whatever signs or postings were around the village. But there was actually another, more preferable means. With surprisingly little effort, Kyuubi was able to instruct Naruto how to enter the mindscape of the seal nearly at will. She, unfortunately, chalked it up to his desire to escape the pain of reality dealing with the villagers. But the result was that they could sit together, and she could teach him directly.

The second, obviously, was how to get more food of a better quality on a regular basis. She had him looking to get food before it would be missed. Like when deliveries of the wagons and carts of fruits and vegetables came around, to grab one or two things out of them before the store owners or deliverers begin counting out their orders. Despite what Kyuubi said, Naruto, like herself, obviously favored the sweet juice of fruits over vegetables, with few exceptions. Then there was when bakeries are finishing the bread, there are always those smaller ones that are separated from the rest or the ones that are either misshaped for one use or another. When Naruto seemed to get the hang of those basics enough that he was no longer constantly starving, Kyuubi tried to teach him the simplest of fishing skills. Although Naruto was a bit hesitant to harm the fish, she was determined to make sure he had at least a moderate amount of meat in his diet. Whether she was doing it out of a conscious concern for him having nutritional balance, or if she was just doing it out of a kitsune instinct to have a kit eat as it would in the wild, who could guess. Either way, getting Naruto to catch the fish wasn't too difficult, but getting him to cut it up and eat it was another matter. He simply didn't like hurting animals if he didn't have to, which was strange, considering he had a fox teaching him to eat.

It was a sunny mid morning that found Naruto at a slightly out-of-the-way stream at the edge of the village. He was waiting as he sat next to the simple net he had fashioned out of... err... well, it's not important what he made it out of. What is important is that it was strung across the stream and did a fine job of catching the fish that swam in it. Naruto had already caught four fish, but Kyuubi was urging him to catch at least two more.

'_Come on, isn't four enough? I can't really eat more than that in a sitting, plus if I'm going to have them for lunch, I need to get back so I have time to... uh.. prepare, yeah, prepare them._' Naruto whined.

"**But these fish are a bit on the small side. And there's plenty of time. Just two more won't be that much trouble. Now check the net, I think I noticed it jerking.**" Kyuubi prodded.

Naruto 'hmphed' as he got up and moved over to the edge of the water where the net was anchored. Peering into the water, he saw that there were indeed three fish that had gotten caught in the net from the flow of the stream. He grabbed the line attached to the edge of the net and began pulling, causing the far side of the net to begin curling around, trapping the fish completely as it dragged towards Naruto.

'_Ok, ok, three more. That's plenty. In fact, since you said only two more, why don't I let one go?_' Naruto asked hopefully.

"**Naruto-kun...**" Kyuubi groaned, "**Please just do what I say. You don't have to catch any more, but at least try to eat the ones you already-Naruto-kun! Behind you!**" She warned. Naruto whipped around to see three teenage boys walking towards him.

"Well well! What do we have here? The freak of the village playing in the mud?" The tallest (boy1) sneered.

"More like a worm crawling through the dirt!" The shortest (boy2) laughed.

"No, even dirt is too good for that pathetic abomination!" The dark shirted (boy3) spat.

'_What do I do?_' Naruto thought in panic. Kyuubi tensed as she saw, through Naruto's eyes, the clan symbol on the shirt of Boy3.

"**Grab the fish and run for the trees!**" She ordered.

Naruto lunged for the four fish he had already caught that were laid on a flat rock, trying to sweep them into his net with the others. But even as he franticly tried to gather them up, the three boys charged.

"No way freak! You're not getting away this time!" Boy3 shouted as he threw a kunai that hit into Naruto's back left shoulder. Naruto bit back a cry of pain as he still tried to pull his fish-full net with him, but Boy2 lashed out and grabbed the net to keep him from getting away.

"Hey! Check out this so-called 'net'! Not only is he a monster, he's a pervert as well!" Boy2 laughed yanking at the fishnet.

"Let go!" Naruto yelled, trying to ignore the pain of the kunai in his back as he struggled to pull his lunch away from his attackers.

"**Ok then, forget the fish! Just run for it!**" Kyuubi ordered. Naruto instantly released his grip to turn to run, but it was too late. His single moment of struggle gave the other two the second they needed to jump him.

Naruto immediately started thrashing around as Boy1 and Boy2 grabbed his arms, wrenching them around his back to hold him, not even bothering to take out the kunai from his shoulder. Boy3 scowled at Naruto as he picked up the fishnet.

"What's this? Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing? You wretched miserable demon actually trying to feed yourself on _our _fish? Stealing from the village, you pathetic piece of trash!?" He snarled as he took out a second kunai and cut up the net, dumping the fish back into the stream.

"My lunch! Stop it! Let me go!" Naruto struggled against the other two, who fought to hold him down even as Naruto grabbed desperately at their cloths, tearing the pockets of Boy2.

"Damn! This brat is stronger than he looks!" Boy1 grunted.

"IT, you idiot!" Boy3 snapped as he approached them with his kunai, "That is a THING, not a 'he'! That's why we're here, remember? It's time we dispose of this despicable monster!" He sneered. "And it'll never be a threat to the Leaf clans ever again!"

'_**Damn! I was right! I've got to get Naruto-kun away from that one! But I don't know if his body is grown enough to...**_' Kyuubi thought desperately as Naruto steeled himself against his fear. Nearly being killed on a regular basis was having a gradual numbing effect on Naruto's fear each additional time it happened. Who could guess how much longer it would be before the threat of imminent death wouldn't faze him at all.

"Time to die, freak!" Boy3 charged, aiming his kunai for Naruto's chest. Naruto shut his eyes, bracing for the terrible pain that he was all too familiar with. But it wasn't what he felt.

Naruto felt himself jerk as he suddenly found his arms free as he fell forward. He caught himself on his hands and knees, and looked up to see a taller man in black ANBU ninja gear throwing the three boys back. Boy1 and Boy2 seemed knocked out already. Boy3 gaped at the newcomer approaching him.

'_Did... Did he just... save me?_' Naruto wondered in shock, before coughing up a little blood.

'_**That would be very unlikely.**_' Kyuubi doubted privately.

"W-what!? What are you doing!? Why are you protecting it!? As long as it's alive, our clan is in danger! We have to kill it before-ARGHK!" Boy3 collapsed after being slammed across the face by the dark man. Now standing over the three unconscious boys, the man slowly turned to look at Naruto, who was still on his hands and knees with a kunai sticking out of his back. Naruto's eyes widened slightly as he saw the man's face.

'_**Oh no! Not HIM! What the hell is HE doing here!? I don't know what he's going to do to Naruto-kun, but I won't let it happen!**_' Kyuubi freaked with her fur fluffed out on end. "**Naruto-kun, what are you waiting for!? Run for it before-**" Before Kyuubi could even finish, the ANBU ninja picked up the three boys and vanished in a 'bamf' of smoke. Naruto just blinked several times, not sure what had just happened.

'_K...Kyu-chan? That man... just... saved me._' Naruto thought in shock. '_No one has ever..._'

"**Don't read too much into it. He probably had his own reasons for doing what he did. Don't think about him anymore.**" Kyuubi stated bluntly. "**Naru-kun, you will have to learn to tell the difference between those that will fight along side you because they truly care for you, and those who try to fight beyond you because they have no respect for you.**" She warned with complete seriousness. "**Or worse, are only trying to manipulate you and have you do as they want, or only intend to use you for their own goals with no regard for your feelings or safety. That man clearly had a look of ill-intent to him.**" Naruto slowly sat back, and winced as he reached back to yank out the kunai. As usual, a heat spread through his body as the wound began healing at a supernatural rate. He looked at the blood-covered blade.

'_But Kyu-chan, his eyes... His eyes looked kinda like yours. They were red, though not as pretty as yours, and... wait, there were some kind of black marks in them... Was he sick or something?_' Naruto wondered.

'_**Sick? Now there's an interesting question.**_' Kyuubi mused unpleasantly, and was a bit on edge. "**I don't know, and I really don't care. Just be glad he's gone. Maybe you can get back to fishing without interruption now.**" She said, trying to sound nonchalant. "**And now you have a kunai. You'd never be able to get one from any of the village shops. And it looks like one in fairly good condition as well. Don't lose it.**"

'_Lose it? Where am I suppose to keep it? My cloths don't have pockets, or rather, the pocket I do have will rip as soon as I put this pointy thing in it!_' Naruto fumed. '_Plus there's the matter of what will happen if anyone finds out I have it!_'

"**Relax, you're going to be using kunai a lot in the future, now is as good a time as any to start becoming familiar with them. As for how to hang onto it, take some of the threads from the net to make a carry-band of sorts. A strap to keep it in place. And don't forget to gather all the other pieces of the net. You'll have to stitch it back together later.**" Kyuubi instructed.

'_But, what about the fish? It's already lunch time, and I'm hungry! I won't be able to catch more fish until I fix the net, and that'll take all afternoon, at least!_' Naruto complained as he began picking up the pieces of his ripped net.

"**Take it easy, you can still get food at the market in the mass of the lunch rush, and there's still... Hey, what's that?**" Kyuubi stopped as she noticed a small folded piece of paper on the ground out of the corner of Naruto's eye. Naruto noticed it and picked it up. Unfolding it, and turning it upside right, he slowly read what looked like a coupon.

+Ichiraku Ramen Bar+  
+This coupon redeemable for a meal of two free bowls of ramen of any flavor+  
+One time use only+

'_Ramen? What's ramen?_' Naruto asked. '_I've never heard of that kind of food before._'

"**Well well! Things are looking up!**" Kyuubi chirped delightedly. "**This must've fallen out of the pocket of that boy's jacket you ripped. You want lunch? Well, it looks like you're going to get it!**" She said, quite pleased with the turn of events. But Naruto frowned.

'_How is this going to help? No store will let me in. It won't matter if I have this, nobody would let me eat at their shop._' He said with disappointment.

"**Maybe, maybe not! You might just be surprised if I'm right about my hunch...**" Kyuubi purred.

Despite his confusion and doubt. Naruto went along with it. Tying some threads to his new kunai, and gathering his torn net, he headed back to his 'apartment' to drop them off. After, he made his way through the village at Kyuubi's direction. After about a half-hour of searching, and another half-hour having to escape some hateful villagers, Naruto stopped on the street opposite across from a nice-looking, open front eating-stand/building-front. The cloth flaps draping from the top of the wall frame were printed with big writing, Ichiraku's. Naruto could see under the flaps that at least two people sitting on the stools. He could hear and smell the cooking going on inside.

'_Are you sure about this?_' Naruto asked, looking down at the coupon again.

"**Hey, look at it this way, if I'm right, you get a free lunch of decent _prepared _food. If I'm wrong, you'll just have to run away like usual, and you can head to the market anyway. Just be careful.**" Kyuubi assured.

Naruto 'hmphed', and slowly made his way over to the side of the entrance. He cautiously peered under the flaps. One of the people sitting at the bar was a oldish woman in plain civilian cloths. The other, on the opposite side of her from Naruto, was an even older looking man wearing some kind of white and red robes. But with the woman in the way, Naruto couldn't see him too clearly. Behind the bar was a man in a white cooking apron and a white chefs hat on top of his head, handling a steaming pot. There was also a girl wearing a blue apron helping out, but she only looked maybe four/five or so years older than Naruto himself. Naruto stood there at the edge of the entrance, hesitating for several long moments, until the girl noticed him.

"Oh! Hello there! Welcome to Ichiraku's! Are you looking for something to eat?" She asked politely as she smiled at him. The two other customers didn't even look up at the normal event, but Naruto looked at her like she was nuts.

'_Ok, she must not know who I am. But I bet once the other guy sees me, he'll throw me out._' Naruto swallowed a lump in his throat.

"**You'll never get anywhere in life if you're not willing to take risks. Just show her the coupon.**" Kyuubi prodded, flicking her tails with slight impatience.

"Ah... I... have a... coupon..." Naruto barely mumbled as he held out the paper with a slightly wavering hand. He was tense, ready to run if need be. The brown haired girl reached over and took the paper, giving it a look-over.

"Why so you do! Aren't you lucky! Alright then, one free lunch coming up!" She smiled. "Hey papa! Got a coupon for two free bowls here!" She turned to the man, her father obviously, showing him the paper. He put the lid on the pot he had been stirring to look over at his daughter.

"How nice! And who is the lucky..." The man started to say, but paused as he looked over to see the small scruffy blond boy standing in the entrance. His face went from casual to ridged neutral as he regarded his newest customer. Naruto flinched.

'_See! I knew it! He's going to kick me out! That is, if he doesn't try to kill me first!_' Naruto though harshly.

"**Hold on, hold on, give it a minute. He looks like he's thinking. And besides, that girl seems friendly enough.**" Kyuubi remarked, trying to keep Naruto from bolting, and wasting the coupon.

'_Maybe, but like I said, she probably doesn't know who I am. It's the older guy I'm worried about._' Naruto shot back. While he was worrying however, the other two customers already seated had taken notice in the silent pause, and looked over to see what was happening. Naturally, when the old woman saw who was standing not even six feet from her, she reacted as predictably as Naruto would ever expect.

"Ahh! Get out of here you monster! Get out or I'll smash your skull in!" She screamed as she raised a handbag she had with her, intending to whack Naruto senseless. The chef and his daughter, well, the daughter anyway, looked quite surprised at the woman's reaction. But before the old woman could carry out her threat, and before Naruto had even managed to turn to run, the woman's hand was stopped by the hand of the old man behind her.

"What do you think you're doing, threatening a child!?" The old man demanded harshly. The other four present looked at him, three with shocked surprise, but Naruto just gaped with rising panic.

"B-but, H-Hokage-sama!" The old woman gasped in fear.

"I can't believe anyone would do something so irresponsible, and in my presence no less!" The man, the Hokage, Sarutobi, scolded.

"B-b-but I... That's the..." The woman stammered.

'_Hey, what's the deal with that guy? What's he doing?_' Naruto wondered as he considered his exit direction.

'**_Hmmm. This is interesting._' **Kyuubi thought as she pondered the unraveling event. As thoughts were thought by the others, Sarutobi released the woman.

"Perhaps, if you're done your meal," He gestured to the woman's empty bowl, "You should be on your way now." He spoke in a calm voice, but there was no mistake at the insistence of his tone. The woman glanced around, and deciding that simply getting away was preferable, agreed. Without even a word, she paid for her meal and rushed out.

"Um, Sarutobi?" The chef asked slowly.

"Ah! Don't worry Teuchi! She must have had indigestion or something! Getting old isn't exactly a picnic!" Sarutobi laughed, causing the chef, Teuchi, to chuckle a little, since, though he clearly wasn't as old as Sarutobi, he wasn't exactly a spring chicken either.

"Ah, of course! Well then, Ayame-chan, this boy has two free bowls of ramen coming to him doesn't he?" Teuchi waved, taking the coupon from her, pocketing it, and returned to the pot he was working with.

"Right! So what'll you have kid?" The girl, Ayame, turned back to Naruto, smiling again, but her mouth twitched slightly as she took a better look at him. His cloths were barely more than dirty rags, his hair, mostly blond, was raggedly unkempt, and was more than a little dirty himself. She was shocked that any child in Konoha would seem so un-cared for. And he wasn't moving. "Huh? Hey, are you listening?" She asked.

"Yes, yes! Have a seat and eat up!" Sarutobi laughed as he sat down again to his own bowl of ramen.

Naruto slowly climbed on the far end seat at the bar, away from the others. He looked around, as if not sure what to do next.

"So, what flavor ramen do you want?" Ayame asked cheerfully.

"Um... Actually..." Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously, "I've never had ramen before... I don't know anything about flavors..." He admitted in an embarrassed mumble. "Just as long as it has at least a little meat in it."

"Whoa... Never had ramen before?" Ayame nearly gasped. "Well then, if it's a bit of meat you want, I'd recommend the miso with chicken or pork to begin with." She offered. Naruto slowly nodded.

"Ok." He said. '_Well, let's see if this really is any good._' He gulped.

"**Relax, it'll be fine.**" Kyuubi snickered.

Naruto sat silently as Teuchi and Ayame worked over the stoves and the pots of boiling noodles and broth. Naruto kept glancing around to keep watch, but no one else entered the eating stand, and Sarutobi was calmly eating his own meal, seemingly ignoring Naruto. After a minute, Ayame set a steaming bowl down in front of Naruto, who looked at it skeptically. Pulling the bowl to himself, he started to reach into-

"Hey, what're you doing? You can't eat ramen with your hands!" Ayame blurted in shock. "Use the chopsticks!" She pointed to the small pot filled with said utensils. Naruto tilted his head quizzically.

"Chopsticks? What are chopsticks?" He asked in confusion. Ayame's and Teuchi's eyes nearly bugged out at the question, and Sarutobi gave an unnoticed glance at Naruto.

"Uh, well... Ok, look, I'll show you." Ayame shook her head in disbelief.

After a minute of getting a crash course in basic chopstick use, Naruto slowly brought a knot of slightly cooled noodles up to his mouth. Taking a bite, he chewed slowly... and his eyes widened.

'_W-whoa... Wow! This is... delicious! This is great! This is REALLY GREAT!_' Naruto could hardly believe it. He had never tasted anything like it. In moments he was chomping through the noodles and chicken rapidly.

"**Ha. Told you.**" Kyuubi preened. Sarutobi seemed to relax as Naruto gobbled down his first bowl, and immediately started on the second as soon as Ayame set it in front of him. But the moment of relaxation in the normalcy didn't last. After the contents of the second bowl vanished into Naruto's mouth...

"Another please!" He held up his empty bowl with a huge smile.

"**Uh, Naruto-kun, you forget that the-**" Kyuubi tried to warn him, a fraction too late.

"Sorry kid, the coupon was only for two bowls. If you want more, you'll have to pay like everyone else." Teuchi stated in a nonchalant tone, not even bothering to look up from the pot he was stirring.

Naruto's face instantly shifted to one of shock. He dropped the bowl and turned to bolt, afraid that he had made a mistake, somehow having done something wrong, and that he was in trouble. But he hadn't even gotten two steps, not even passed the drapes of the store front, when he was stopped by Sarutobi putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Now now, there's no reason to get all upset." He smiled at a confused and scared Naruto. "You just got caught up in the moment, and I don't blame you! Teuchi here makes the best ramen I've ever tasted." He gave Teuchi a look, and the chef gave a tiny nod. "Tell you what, how about this once, I'll pay for your meal. Go ahead and eat up. I'm sure Teuchi won't mind." The old man guided Naruto back to the seat. Naruto was looking back and forth between the two men.

'_Kyu-chan..._' Naruto begged fearfully.

"**It's ok. These men don't seem to want to hurt you.**" Kyuubi said calmly, trying to ease his paranoia.

'_But you said-_' Naruto tried to argue.

"**Naru-kun, this man in the white and red robes is the Hokage. The leader of the whole village. He is the strongest and most respected shinobi in the village.**" Kyuubi said earnestly. "**He decides what is, or isn't, in this village. If he thought you were evil because of me, we wouldn't be alive now. He would've had you killed right after you were born. The fact that he didn't, proves that he doesn't hate you.**" She explained. Naruto thought about her statement, trying to understand the reasoning.

'_He... doesn't hate me? Or you?_' He asked, just double-checking.

"**No, he doesn't hate you. Though, I couldn't guess how he feels about me... Just go ahead and accept his offer, since you probably won't get another for who knows how long. Eat up, then go back to the apartment. It'll take you the rest of the day to fix the net.**" Kyuubi instructed.

"O-k..." Naruto said, both to Kyuubi, and the two men that had been waiting for his answer.

"That's swell then!" Sarutobi smiled, giving Naruto a pat on the back, but noticed as Naruto flinched slightly.

So the two of them sat down again to continue eating, Sarutobi still on his first bowl (that was getting cold by then), and Ayame handed a new bowl to Naruto. Then another... and another... The three people could only gape as Naruto polished off (as in, licked completely clean) eight more bowls of ramen before stopping.

"Ooohhh, I feel funny..." Naruto groaned, holding his stomach.

"Good heavens, I don't doubt it. I've never seen anyone that wasn't an Akimichi eat ten bowls before." Teuchi gaped. "You didn't have to force yourself, it's not healthy. You should have just stopped when you were full."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, as a sweat-dropped Sarutobi pulled out his wallet to pay for the huge meal.

"What do you mean, what do I mean? When you're full, you stop eating. Eating too much is bad for you." Teuchi said, slightly confused.

"I don't understand. How can someone eat too much? I have to spend all my time just trying to get enough food so I can sleep at night without my stomach waking me up. But then again, I've never been able to eat this much all at once before. It's just weird I guess." Naruto shrugged. "Well, thanks... I think." He hopped off the stool, not noticing the once again shocked looks on the faces of the others.

"You're welcome." Sarutobi said, crying over his empty wallet for a moment before turning to Naruto as he cleared his throat. "Well then, you can go then. Although next time, you should wash before eating. Make sure to have the matrons give you a thorough bath when you get back." He said, pulling out a pipe and lighting it.

"Mat-rons? Back where?" Naruto asked, confused.

'_**Uh oh.**_' Kyuubi thought warily. Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at Naruto.

"The matrons, when you get back to the orphanage." Sarutobi clarified, taking a puff on his pipe, but frowned as Naruto cringed.

"**Go ahead. Tell him.**" Kyuubi sighed. Naruto looked up at Sarutobi.

"I... I don't live at the orphanage. They kicked me out as soon as I learned to walk." Naruto mumbled, then ran off down the street.

CRACK

Sarutobi looked at his hand, holding one half of his pipe, as the other half had snapped in his mouth when his jaw had clenched. Forcing himself not to react outwardly, lest he ruin his dignified image, he tapped out the bowl of the pipe and put the pieces in his pocket.

"That blood stain on his back was fresh. This morning, in fact." Sarutobi said to thin air. A darkly dressed ANBU man stepped out of the shadows from beside Ichiraku's.

"Yes. The three responsible were dealt with." He bowed his head in respect. Sarutobi had to lock his hands behind his back to avoid rubbing his temples to alleviate his headache.

"Should I even bother asking if any or all of them were of your clan?" The elder shinobi muttered quietly.

"One of them. The instigator." The ANBU answered without emotion. Sarutobi began walking down the street towards the Hokage tower, the ANBU falling in step behind.

"Is what he said true? He was thrown out of the orphanage?" Sarutobi asked with a much more grim voice.

"It would seem so. In the time since I began watching him, he has not returned there. He has taken to staying in a room in the abandoned apartment building, several streets over." The ANBU confirmed.

"And why wasn't this brought to my attention?" The Hokage strained not to shout his outrage.

"I have seen him display surprisingly great capability to care for himself. And since he has created a shelter for himself that no one else seems aware of at the moment, it did not seem necessary." The ANBU responded.

"That is not your decision to make!" Sarutobi snapped harshly, but the ANBU showed no sign of reaction. "I will deal with the matrons of the orphanage, and I'll want to inspect the place that Naruto has chosen for himself, while he is out, obviously. He seems to be having enough trouble trusting people, to have him catch someone snooping in his new home." Sarutobi paused in his stride to look at his subordinate. "And as for the attack against him... I must say I can't help but find it strange, your attitude, or lack thereof, about this matter. From what reports I've received, it appears that nearly all of the most serious attacks against him have been committed by, or instigated by, members of your clan. And yet you volunteered for duty in watching over him." The Hokage regarded the highly skilled ninja standing before him. "Perhaps you could enlighten me as to why, when virtually the entirety of your clan seems to want Naruto dead, you would take the duty of protecting him, even if it means jeopardizing the lives of your own clan members. Well, Itachi?" Sarutobi asked, though he suspected he wouldn't get a very detailed answer, and he was right.

"Naruto must be protected from death. I am skilled enough to do so, and I am one of the only ones willing to do so. That is all." Itachi Uchiha replied with complete seriousness. After a moment that made it clear he had nothing further to add to his statement, Sarutobi sighed.

"Very well then. Keep watch over Naruto, and sometime in the next few days, when I get the chance, you will show me his 'apartment'. Dismissed." The Hokage didn't even bother to watch Itachi vanish as he resumed his walk back to the office. It had only been his lunch break after all. '_But don't think I didn't catch that slip, Itachi. You said, protect Naruto from death, not protect him from harm. Hmmm. I don't know what is going through the minds of the Uchiha clan, but don't think you'll be able to escape my scrutiny forever..._' He pondered to himself.

* * *

After his strange lunch encounter, Naruto had indeed returned to his 'apartment', and worked through the afternoon repairing his fishing net. Sitting on the tattered matting that served as a bed, he meticulously arranged the pieces of the netting, and was tying the parts back together with knots hopefully strong enough to hold the next time a fish would be thrashing against it. Naruto was going over the lunch events in his head, especially about what Kyuubi had said about the old man. The Hokage.

'_The strongest and most respected ninja in the village..._' He pondered. '_No one would ever try to hurt him, would they?_' He asked curiously.

"**No, they wouldn't. And even someone who would be a big enough idiot to try would have to go through most of the rest of the ninja in the village to get to him.**" Kyuubi yawned. It was weird, the first time Naruto had ever had a truly full stomach, and she was the one feeling sleepy.

'_So... does that mean... if I were Hokage, I'd finally be safe? No one would try to hurt me anymore?_' Naruto asked hopefully. All of a sudden, Kyuubi didn't feel so sleepy anymore.

"**Wh-what?**" She gasped. "**Well, I suppose, in a way, technically, but Naruto-kun you-**"

'_All right then! Then I'll have to become Hokage!_' Naruto smiled.

"**Naru-kun, listen to me! It's not that simple!**" Kyuubi stated urgently. "**Not only would it be extremely difficult to become Hokage, even if doing so meant that the villagers would have finally come to acknowledge you as a real person, there would be others, others that exist _outside _the village, that would still want you dead for any number of reasons.**" She tried to make her words sink in.

'_Well, ok, I think I can understand that. But still, you've been saying all along that to be able to protect myself and be accepted in the world, I'm going to become a ninja. Well, as long as I'm going to be a ninja, I may as well be the very best ninja of all!_' Naruto attacked the net with renewed vigor. Kyuubi remained silent for several minutes before responding.

"**I've also been saying that it will be hard to become, and be, a ninja. You'll be putting yourself into as much danger as you'll be trying to escape.**" Kyuubi said slowly, testing.

'_Yeah, but at least I'll know for sure I'll be in danger, rather than always being afraid because I don't know when the villagers will try to hurt me. In a sense, it will be a life... of my own choice. Even if it doesn't seem different... It will be all different... to me. Because it won't be my home that's trying to kill me anymore._' Naruto had slowed in his chore, until he sat utterly still and silent in his little self-made haven. Kyuubi slowly curled up in the cage, wrapping her tails around herself.

"**Becoming Hokage will be much harder than just being a ninja. You'll have to work harder and train harder than anyone else. And you'll have to be willing to protect the villagers... the same people that want you dead now.**" Kyuubi said softly. Naruto chuckled.

'_Hey, they're just angry. Everyone gets angry. I can't blame them for that. If it means I'll have to work a little harder at the academy, it's no big deal._' He responded, resuming his net repair.

"**No Naru-kun, you don't understand. It is a big deal. Planning for you to be a ninja was one thing, as I was expecting to help you through the academy once you got a little older. But if you want to become Hokage... I'll have to start your training myself, and you'll have to start sooner. Much sooner.**" Kyuubi said innocently. Far too innocently.

'_Sooner? How much sooner?_' Naruto asked warily.

"**Sooner as in... tomorrow.**" She said, examining her claws. Naruto paused, blinking several times.

'_Wha-... Wha-... WHAAAAAAAAAT!?_' The poor blonde drop-jawed at the news.

"**Sorry. But that's how it is.**" Kyuubi said while wondering if it was possible to tickle him by wiggling her tails against the cage walls. "**Now, I want to make something very clear. I-AM-NOT-A-NINJA. I can't teach you the things you'll learn in the academy.**" She said slowly and clearly, making sure Naruto was listening and paying attention. "**I can't teach you jutsu or shinobi politics. I never bothered learning the specific ways of the shinobi in my life.**"

'_What? Why not?_' Naruto asked curiously as he resumed working on his net. Kyuubi let out a very amused giggle.

"**Believe me, if you could see what I'm capable of at my full power, you'd realize that me learning ninja stuff, is like having a shark learn to use a knife and fork. Utterly pointless. My magic is more than enough to handle anything my raw power can't.**" She paused, a momentary dreamy tone having entered her voice as she recalled several spectacular moments in her life...

'_Magic? What's that?_' Naruto asked as he tried to pull his finger out of a knot that had snared him.

"**What? Oh, never mind. Nothing you need to worry about. Sheesh, I don't even think there's been a genuine human sorcerer in over nineteen hundred-**" Kyuubi's train of thought was interrupted by a slightly annoyed Naruto.

'_Well, if you can't teach me ninja stuff, what the heck **are **you going to be teaching me?_' He wondered in slight frustration.

"**Ah, I only said I can't teach you jutsu or politics. Those are specific to each ninja village. All I can do for you in that area, is to learn as you do in the academy, and help you develop those skills as you go along. With both of our minds working on them, and my much greater experience in studying such matters and explaining them to you, you should be able to advance much quicker than others.**" Kyuubi explained patiently.

'_Swell. But what are **you **going to teach me?_' Naruto asked, pulling the next segment of net to him to attach.

"**The most basic of skills. Physical training, mental training, weapon training, though it will be difficult without proper equipment, and most importantly of all, chakra training.**" She stated proudly.

'_Chatora? What's chatora?_' The blond frowned a bit at the descriptions his occupant was listing.

"**No no! CHAKRA! CHAK-RA!**" Kyuubi shrieked while at the same time giving a horrible shudder that sent a wave of nausea through Naruto. "**Please, PLEASE, don't ever use the term... chatora... again!**" She whined while covering her head with her paws.

'_Ok! Ok! I'm sorry!_' Naruto cringed, holding his stomach. After a minute for the two of them to regain their composure, Kyuubi tried again to explain.

"**Chakra is the energy in a living being, alongside of the actual life-force. Chakra is the energy used for all human ninja skills. And chakra is one thing I know very, VERY well. I figure if I can get a couple of years of training into you before you start at the academy, it should make things considerably better for you. Especially since you have the potential to have more chakra than any human I've met in a long, long time.**" She purred in approval.

'_Ok, so what kind of training will it be? I mean, what am I going to be doing exactly?_' Naruto started on the last piece of net he had to fix.

"**Basically, I'll show you how to make yourself stronger, faster, and more agile. I'll help you learn how to think in ways to make the best use of the ninja skills you'll be learning later, as well as how to be able to identify your opponents styles and potential weaknesses.**" Kyuubi said with all seriousness. "**And for the chakra training, I'll teach you how to control it, exercise it, focus it, increase it... as well as a little trick that will prove quite useful, as well as being surprising to your opponents.**" She snickered mischievously. "**You'll be surprised to learn just how much you can do with nothing but pure chakra.**"

'_Right. So what am I going to be doing exactly?_' Naruto said blankly. Kyuubi face-faulted.

"**Maybe we should just leave this until tomorrow. It's easier for you to try it yourself.**" She curled up again. "**But you'll have to do what I tell you to, when I tell you to. If you don't, it will all just be a waste of time.**"

'_Ok, I promise._' Naruto finally put the finished net aside. Looking out the half-boarded-up window, he saw that it was already dark. Definitely not the time for him to be wandering around the hostile village. He pulled his blanket, which was one of the more intact possessions he had, up around himself. The two settled down to sleep, despite the risks. After a few minutes, it seemed as if they had fallen asleep, except...

"**Look Naru-kun, you'll have more trouble getting to sleep if you leave that thought unfinished. What is it?**" Kyuubi mumbled.

'_Kyu-chan... What's a per-vert?_' Naruto asked.

BONK-CRASH-&#!

"**What the heck!? Where did that come from!?**" Kyuubi demanded, shaking her head after she had slammed it into the top of the cage by accident in her surprise. At her sudden outburst, Naruto hesitated, not liking to upset her.

'_Well... those boys that attacked me today... when they wrecked my net, they said something about it meaning I'm a per-vert. What does that mean?_' He asked slowly. Kyuubi buried her nose under her tails as her ears flattened back on her head.

'_**Of all the things I DON'T want him to become... So help me Arceus, if you've stuck me in a pervert for the rest of my life...**_' Kyuubi thought as she resigned herself to explaining one of the things she hated most in the world. And she would later realize that explaining things to him when he was as young as he was, had ensured he would never become a pervert after all, and in fact, would cause him to come to dislike perverts himself, if for no other reason than because she didn't like them.

* * *

After the near-miss of pervertedism, Kyuubi took to the difficult task of instructing Naruto in basic training. She directed him to areas of the village that were as out-of-the-way as she could find, and set him about the mission of self-improvement.

Despite knowing how unfairly harsh it was on him, she decided that it was best to train him in the same manner as she deduced ninja life and battle would be. That is, she put him to doing multiple tasks at once. Or at least two at any given time, since whatever he would do with his body, she could still occupy his mind with instruction or questions.

Physical training was very time consuming, as it constituted the bulk of his day. While his other lessons could be done practically anytime, Kyuubi wanted Naruto to go out everywhere around the village for the physical training, in order to get him used to dealing with various terrain and surroundings. She thought it was rather detrimental to confine his work-outs to repetition in a limited space. After all, there was only so much one can do in an old apartment building. As it was, much of what Naruto did was done with rocks and wood logs of all shapes and sizes. Kyuubi had him doing whatever types of exercises she could think of, and that is saying a lot. Even certain things she had learned in distant lands were tried. Though, Naruto was only able to understand her descriptions of some of them. Ultimately, Kyuubi did have to keep things more along the lines of local lands styles and the most basics, despite Naruto's interest in a few xiao-lin exercises... Anyway, everything from trying to lap the great wall of the village, to hand-stand push-ups, to somersaulting across the stones of streams without getting wet at all. Rock juggling, boulder pushing, log rolling and leaf gathering (how many leaves he can gather in a time without them blowing away). Even conditioning Naruto's body to endure further discomfort was considered. Having Naruto punching and kicking trees, and boulders, until he could do so as much as he could and as hard as he dared without even flinching.

Weapon training was, as expected, a bit tricky. With only a single kunai to start with, Kyuubi had to have Naruto make many improvised 'weapons' for him to work with. From carving replica kunai and approximate shuriken out of wood, to grinding down small rocks, to finding pieces of scrap wood and even lucky enough to find a small number of metal pipes and poles to work with. Of course he had to hide his stashes of 'equipment' to keep people from finding out what he was doing, and if they were to rob him of his tools, it would mean wasted time replacing them. Naruto had to do everything from basic target practice, to repetitive target accuracy strikes, to kunai juggling (the wood ones painted in white/red), to using the metal pole as a bo-staff, or the shorter metal pipe as a stand-in weighted non-blade. She had him practice the motions of each weapon type until he began to develop his own familiar rhythm with each that he felt comfortable with. Regardless of whatever progress he made with the 'equipment' he had, Kyuubi knew that it wasn't as good as using the real thing, and had confidence that once he acquired access to said proper ninja gear, he would excel just fine.

Mental training was the easiest to execute, since Kyuubi could work on his mind 24/7, regardless of whatever else he was doing. She would later learn that this didn't always apply to when he was eating ramen. She told him about her travels, and what things she had learned in the lands that had become the shinobi nations that she thought would be relevant to him. She quizzed him on everything she told him. She constantly tested his observational capabilities, having him look in a direction, and getting him to explain everything he sees, compared to what she sees through his eyes. Her reasoning being, if she can see it through his eyes, he should be able to as well. She would exercise his memory, often at the end of the day, she would ask him about something specific that happened, or something he should have noticed. Although she had no experience as a ninja specifically, she had more than enough memories of battles to create scenarios that she would test him on, having him think through the options and decide, not what was best, but merely to understand what the outcome of each possible choice would be. And the most important part of his training, it was kind of a special treat for Kyuubi to tell Naruto about things beyond the human world, about the various demons and creatures that existed, and the ways they lived, and the most important fact of all, how demons traveled to and from the human world in the disguise of 'summon contracts'. Of course, she made sure to tell him all about the kitsune clan. Not that she was biased or anything...

Chakra training was the most important and pressed upon activity. Although some may think improving the mind would be top priority, Kyuubi's reasoning was, what's the point of having Naruto understand life, if he isn't strong enough to survive it? As soon as Naruto had learned how to access his chakra, Kyuubi had him keep at least one part of his mind on it at ALL times. He had to be aware of his own flow of chakra, how it reacted to any situation. How it flowed when he was calm, how it flowed when he was excited, how it flowed when he was scared. She had him constantly 'flexing' his chakra, building up the pressure of energy in his system, then allowing it to relax. She taught him how to allow more chakra to flow in one part of his body while keeping the rest of his body the same, and even to have different levels of chakra in each part of his body and maintain control over each to keep them steady. She even began to allow very tiny amounts of her own chakra to flow into him, and had him learn to be aware of its presence within his own chakra. With it, she taught him to be able to either utilize their combined chakra as his own as a magnified power, or he could direct her chakra separately, as in the case whenever he was injured and he would direct her chakra to the wound to exponentially accelerate the healing. That is to say, while just the presence of her chakra in his body accelerated his normal healing, when he would focus her chakra on a specific wound, it would heal even faster still. And then there was that one certain technique of chakra control that Kyuubi knew would become one of Naruto's most important skills. But it was a skill she insisted he keep secret as long as possible, as it would serve to be a surprise to opponents who would not expect such a thing from him.

For the overall progress of his training in chakra control, Kyuubi explained to Naruto that there was a method, or series of stages that would help to show his level of control. They were: wall walking, water walking, point balancing, flow splitting, immolation aversion, and 'cold' chakra exertion. She explained that if he could even _reach _the last stage, he would have little to worry about in his life at that point. The stages helped to train the control of chakra not only inside his body, but outside it as well. And controlling chakra outside the body was much harder. The further from the body, and depending on what the chakra tries to move through, the harder still. There was another benefit from the first two stages that would come to help Naruto. Most villagers couldn't walk up walls. Or run across rivers. By learning how to do this, and he practiced constantly, he found himself safer from them for longer periods of time.

A point needs to be made clear. Even as Naruto was going through all this, he still had to find his own food, and the villagers never let up on their abuse of him when presented the opportunity. They never had any idea what he was doing, and they never cared. As the weeks stretched into months, and eventually into years, even as Naruto became more and more enthusiastic with the progress he believed he was making, the village stayed as cold to him as ever. Some even found his growing hyperactivity and cheerful attitude offensive. They believed a 'monster' like him didn't deserve to be happy. And speaking of who was happy and who wasn't, as Naruto made progress in his training, Kyuubi expected him to start fighting back against the beatings he would still receive from time to time. But he didn't. No matter what happened, no matter what the damnable people did to him, he wouldn't fight back at all. All he would do was run, if he could. It infuriated and confused Kyuubi to no end. For even though she could hear his every thought, see his every memory, and even witness his imagination at work, his reason for refusing to fight was so ludicrously simple. They were his people, and he wouldn't hurt them. Even when she tried to convince him that those that hurt him couldn't possibly be 'his people', he merely responded that if he hurt them back, he would be no better than them. He really would be a monster just as they said. And he didn't want to become something like that.

So, as much as it sickened her to do so, all Kyuubi could do was turn his beatings into another means of training. She couldn't stop the beatings, but she wasn't going to let them be meaningless. She began to judge how fast he could recover. How well he could direct his own healing. How much punishment it would take before he went down. When she explained this to him, she said it was every bit as important in battle to last as long as possible as it was to be able to match your opponent. If your opponent initially has the upper hand, the longer the battle lasts, the more time you have to discover their weaknesses, or at the very least, have more opportunity to escape.

In all the training that Kyuubi had Naruto doing, there was only one tiny flaw. Ever since that first real lunch he had, Naruto was constantly trying to find ways to get some more Ichiraku ramen. He kept trying to offer help to Teuchi and Ayame in exchange for meals, since he had neither the money nor the means to earn any. At first, they were willing to go along with it as long as he kept his consumption to a minimum. But soon, as word somehow spread around the village that the two ramen chefs were helping 'the demon', their business dropped off to nearly nothing. Naruto only became aware of this one day when he showed up to help, only to have Teuchi scream at him for 'ruining their livelihood'. Needless to say, a very dejected Naruto immediately ceased his visits. It wasn't until about three weeks later when their business had resumed, that a guilty Teuchi (being insistently prodded by a very cross Ayame) managed to find Naruto and apologize. But he still insisted that Naruto at least _try_ to earn some money to pay for his own ramen. Despite his joy at not being banned from Ichiraku's, Naruto was still a bit miffed at Teuchi's request. It wasn't as if he had any way to do anything about it. Or so he thought...

At one point, just a couple months into his training, Naruto came back to his 'apartment' to find it considerably cleaned up. It had been dusted and washed, and what few belongings he had were carefully set neatly around in the room. And what's more, sitting next to his bed was a box that had cloths in it. Real cloths. About six or so change sets. And on top of the box was a small pouch with a note attached. The note had a brief explanation on how to keep the cloths washed, and said that the pouch, the money pouch, was for him, and he would find another pouch in his room at the beginning of every other week from then on. The note was signed by the Hokage. Before he could rush to Ichiraku's, he received several DAYS worth of harsh lecturing from Kyuubi about how to manage his money, despite her own happiness that things were slowly getting better for him, thanks mainly to 'Old-Man-Hokage', as she and Naruto took to calling him whenever they saw him. And as for when Naruto would need to buy something, he found it much easier to just give the money to Teuchi or Ayame and have them buy it for him. Though, the only things he seemed to really need was cloths washing soap, and a few sewing supplies in case his new cloths got ripped, which was still fairly often. Most of the money, Naruto was able to save for ramen, and even that wasn't all that much, since he was still able to continue to get food by his usual means. So, in fact, over time, he began building up quite an amazing amount of savings. Not that Naruto ever realized just how much money he actually had. He didn't really keep track. He only took out the little bits he would need, and the rest was carefully hidden away in several secret spots in his apartment building. And since he could pay for his own ramen, Teuchi and Ayame were perfectly happy to have him eat at their shop whenever he wanted, regardless of what anyone else said.

And so the weeks and months passed. Naruto worked hard every single day. He didn't stop even during the worst weather. He didn't stop even during those times that the students at the ninja academy were on break. He didn't stop even when it was between class years at the academy. He worked all day, every day, even when others didn't. He had to. Because there wasn't anything else for him to do. Naruto became quite accustomed to his routine. The only variation was the occasions of especially violent attacks against him, only by ninja at this point since ordinary villagers couldn't keep up with him, and he would be saved, always by the same darkly dressed ANBU. But he was never able to thank him or even ask him questions, for two reasons. First, the ANBU never stayed around long enough. Second, Kyuubi was adamant that Naruto have nothing to do with him. This really confused Naruto, since she refused to ever give a reasonable explanation why. Even at one point, when Naruto decided he wanted to find out who the ANBU was, Kyuubi changed his mind after she kept him awake for a week straight by constantly howling in his mind. It was basically the only thing they ever argued about during that time.

The routine continued for upward of nearly three years. In all honesty, Kyuubi didn't really know how long to have Naruto train before having him enter the academy. She could only make estimated guesses on what information she could gather about other kids Naruto's age, and based on what Naruto would see whenever he would pass by to sneak a look into the academy grounds, or even to try to watch classes through a window. But she did know that Naruto made great progress in the time he trained, no matter who's method of evaluation you used. So, in the middle of June, she was delighted to finally tell a seven-and-a-half-year-old Naruto that it was time for him to enter the ninja academy.

Obviously, this was easier said than done. He tried the direct approach, simply going into the academy and trying to apply at the front office, and was promptly kicked out. He tried sneaking into the building and just sitting in on classes like he belonged there, trying to blend into the rest of the students, but was again immediately kicked out the first time he tried to answer a question, and the teacher recognized him. Needless to say, Naruto was quickly growing frustrated. But Kyuubi was able to offer a simple option. She told him to see the Hokage, and ask him for help getting into the academy. But again, this would prove easier said than done...

* * *

"Dang it all! I told you, I need to see Old-Man-Hokage!" Naruto shouted, having been arguing with a ninja guard just outside the main entrance of the Hokage tower for over ten minutes. "I'll even make an appointment if I have to! Just let me inside!" He was jumping up and down, but the ninja just scowled at him with his arms crossed.

"Hokage-sama is too busy to waste his time with you. Get lost you little monster, and stay lost while you're at it!" The guard snapped viciously.

"Oh come on! I only need five stinking minutes! Anyone can spare five minutes in their day!" Naruto snapped back. The guard pulled a pair of kunai from his vest.

"I said beat it freak! It'd be too much hassle to mop up your blood, but don't think I won't!" The guard pointed his weapons at the kid in front of him. Truth is, he would have already if they weren't standing out in the open. With the law and all, the chances of him getting caught were far too high for the guard's taste. But there would always be later...

"Yeah!? I'd like to see you try you-" Naruto started to say, but jerked short from a twinge in his stomach.

"**Stop Naru-kun. You're just wasting your breath with this idiot.**" Kyuubi said with a slight growl, unhappy with events herself.

'_But this is the second day in a row I've been stonewalled by a guard! How am I supposed to get into the academy if I can't even get in to talk to the old man!?_' Naruto fumed while still glaring at the guard.

"**Relax, you'll get our chance to talk to him sooner or later. If nothing else, you can go and wait for him at Ichiraku's. He'll show up there eventually. After all, he can't sit up there in his office 24/7.**" She said, but noted his train of thought at her words.

"Idiot." Naruto grumphed at the guard before turning and walking away. After he had gone out of sight of the guard, he quickly circled around to one side of the tower. Standing looking up at the structure, he smirked. '_His office **up there**, huh? Well, doors aren't the only ways into a building._' He mused as he focused his chakra into his hands and feet, and with a running leap, scaled up the vertical walls with ease.

* * *

Sarutobi was sitting in his chair in his office, and he was having one of _those _days. He was pestered and bothered at every turn by endless clerks and massagers. He reviewed mission requests and mission reviews and mission reports. He faced a never-ending flow of paper work. Yep, it was one of _those _days. That is, a normal day for the Hokage. But thankfully, he had the help of his 'special assistance team'. There were more times than he would care for that his 'team' was the only way he managed to get through his days with his sanity intact. Truth was, it was the single best means for a Hokage to get their work done and still have time for themselves.

'_There are many in the village who actually think it is fairly easy being Hokage._' Sarutobi though to himself as he leisurely puffed on his pipe. '_Though I suppose I can't blame them. After all, I certainly do make it look easy._' He smirked. '_Keeping such a dignified image is quite deceiving, and difficult in itself however._' He pondered.

Tap Tap

'_But it's very important to keep the image for the people. They must always feel that they can trust the Hokage. It would be a total disaster if a Hokage and the people of the village were to ever become enemies._' Sarutobi frowned as he leaned back in his chair, taking another long puff. '_Even mistrust of too great a magnitude, to much suspicion, would be devastating._'

Tap Tap Tap

'_Yes indeed. It is most important for a Hokage to always put forth an air of confidence and stability._' Sarutobi nodded to himself, puffing contentedly. His new pipe really was of splendid craftsmanship. '_I certainly hope the next Hokage after me will be as patient and calm as I've been._' He daydreamed slightly of the future Hokage.

Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap

'_I don't know if I'll live long enough to see little Konohamaru grow enough to become Hokage. It would certainly be nice if I could, but it's likely I'll have to name a successor in-between myself and him, if he is to be Hokage that is._' Sarutobi pondered the future life of his grandson. '_I'll have to be sure to pick someone just right. Someone who understands the ways and people of the village, also-_'

TapTapTapTapTapTapTapTapTapTapTapTap-

'_That stupid bird! Doesn't it have anything better to do today than to ruin my peace and quiet!? I'm going to pluck it's feathers!_' Sarutobi stood up sharply from his chair. He puffed furiously on his pipe as he angrily turned around to the window-

CRACK

Sarutobi didn't even pay any attention to the pieces of his now-broken pipe as they fell to the floor. He was too preoccupied staring gape-mouthed at the blond boy that was looking in from outside the window.

"NARUTO!" He cried in shock as he rushed to open the window. But when he did, Naruto just gave him a big smile.

"Hey there old man! I need your help with something!" Naruto said cheerfully. Sarutobi leaned out the window, looking up and down, expecting to see some kind of cable or rope holding Naruto, but saw nothing. He looked at the slightly confused boy. "Something wrong?" Naruto asked.

"N-Naruto? Are you... Are you clinging to the wall with chakra?" Sarutobi asked slowly.

"Of course! How else was I supposed to get up here? The bastards that call themselves guards have been stopping me from seeing you for two days, and I really need to talk to you." Naruto explained, but Sarutobi just stood there blinking at him. After a moment, Naruto gave a slight cough. "Um, Old-man? Mind letting me in? It's a bit drafty out here if you know what I mean." Naruto scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Oh! Yes, of course." The Hokage nodded dumbly as he moved aside to allow Naruto to climb in, closing the window behind him. "So Naruto, what is it you want to talk to me so badly about that you decided to, er, drop in?" Sarutobi directed Naruto to a chair as he picked up the pieces of his poor pipe and dumped them in a trash can.

"I need you to help me get into the academy! They won't let me in! And I've tried! Believe it!" Naruto fumed with his arms crossed. The aging Hokage sat in his chair as he regarded his surprise guest.

"Oh? The academy? So you want to be a ninja, eh?" He asked with significant interest, while he opened a drawer of his desk. It was full of pipes.

"Not just a ninja, the greatest ninja of all! Don't take it personally, but I'm after your job! I'm going to be Hokage one day!" Naruto thumped his chest proudly with a mile-wide grin.

"Is that so?" Sarutobi chuckled as he picked out a pipe from his drawer, then set about pulling our a container of smoking incense. "So, what exactly do you need my help with?"

"I told you, they won't let me in." Naruto said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well Naruto, I guess you're unaware of this, but it's the middle of the academy year, so obviously they can't let you in right now. What you need to do is register to begin at the start of the next academy year, which will be in several months." Sarutobi explained as he packed the bowl of his pipe.

"I know. I already tried. But it didn't work. They won't let me in." Naruto slumped slightly in his chair.

"Oh? Was there something in the registration forms you didn't understand? You need my help to fill them out properly?" Sarutobi asked as he put his pipe in his mouth, then started fishing in his pockets for a match.

"Uh, no, you're not getting it. They won't let me in." Naruto sighed. "As in, they said 'demons aren't allowed to be ninja'." He mumbled.

CRACK

Sarutobi looked down at the broken pipe hanging from his mouth. He slowly took it and tapped out the un-used incense onto a handkerchief on his desk.

"Didn't even light it yet..." He muttered to himself, before looking back up at Naruto. "Naruto, don't listen to what those morons say, alright?" He said sternly, to which Naruto just blinked and nodded. "Well then. We can go over to the academy and get this problem straightened out-"

"ALRIGHT! YEAH! THANKS OLD MAN!" Naruto instantly jumped up to dance around. Sarutobi sweat-dropped.

"Naruto! NARUTO! Calm down for a moment!" The Hokage waved. Naruto sat back down, but was now sporting a super-smile. "Before we go, I would like to ask you... Why do you want to be a ninja? Or Hokage for that matter? It isn't an easy life you know." Sarutobi asked as he pulled out yet another pipe from his desk and packed his loose incense into it.

"I just want them to acknowledge me as a person! I'll become a ninja to prove I can help the village as much as anyone else, and then I'll become Hokage, and the villagers will stop looking down on me and finally start treating me with respect!" Naruto jutted out his chin determinedly as he crossed his arms. "As for it being tough... well, it's not like it could possibly be any worse than my life as it is already..." He mumbled.

"... Oh. I see." Sarutobi said quietly as he finally managed to get his pipe lit. '_That is most unfortunate... That he would think that anything would be better than his current life..._' He pondered as he gazed at the waiting boy. '_It shames me that the village has treated him so badly despite all my efforts, but yet somehow he still has managed to not only endure, but he has chosen a life path that he believes will convince the villagers of his true worth all on his own._' Sarutobi smirked thoughtfully. '_And as for his choice, to become a ninja, considering what I just saw..._'

"Well, are we going to go sign me up or what?" Naruto asked impatiently.

"**Take it easy. It seems he's doing some heavy thinking. I think you actually surprised him with your wanting to be a ninja.**" Kyuubi said as she observed the scene playing out.

"All right, all right. But just one more question." Sarutobi said as he got up from his chair and moved around his desk.

"Yeah? What?" Naruto asked with slight suspicion.

"You say you want to enter the academy and learn to be a ninja. But it seems to me you've already had training. After all, that trick you used to climb up the wall to my window, not just anyone can do that. I find it highly unlikely that you just accidentally figured it out by yourself." The Hokage eyed Naruto while puffing slowly.

"Err..." Naruto paled slightly. '_Please, please don't ask what I think you're going to ask!_' He thought in a rising panic. Kyuubi's mind was racing a mile a minute as well.

"I'm just curious... Who's been training you?" Sarutobi asked.

"I can't tell you." Naruto blurted out before Kyuubi could give him any instructions. Needless to say, Sarutobi's eyebrows raised quite high.

"Oh? And why not?" The old man tried to sound casual, but inside he was instantly on alert at Naruto's outburst.

"**Be careful Naruto-kun! If you even word your response the wrong way, he might be able to figure out about our connection!**" Kyuubi warned so franticly she was nearly hopping up and down.

"Look, I'm sorry, but I won't put my friend in danger." Naruto said with absolute seriousness. Both Sarutobi and Kyuubi froze and blinked in surprise. "Do you really think the people of the village will like the idea that someone took it upon them self to help me in this way?" Naruto shot at the confused old man. "All I ever do is try to get through one day to the next. Yet the villagers hate me so much that they go as far as trying to kill me when I so much as go out to get something to eat. What kind of a person would I be if I let them found out about someone who doesn't hate me like they do? They'd turn their hatred to her in a heartbeat. I won't put my friend in that kind of risk! I just can't." Naruto said, staring down his elder with steady eyes. Sarutobi regarded Naruto while Kyuubi purred vehemently.

"I see. That does make sense, unfortunately." Sarutobi muttered. '_So I'll have to wait to find out who's been helping him. But it's a small price to pay to see his determination to protect someone who is obviously precious to him._' He smiled inwardly, and outwardly. "But you know I don't hate you Naruto. Perhaps you could just tell me if I promise not to tell anyone else until you say so? Just a name perhaps?" He asked with some small hope. Naruto hesitated.

"Well... I dunno..." He said slowly, narrowing his eyes, but was pondering a thought different that what he seemed. '_This could be a recurring problem. If people keep wondering and asking who trained me, what am I supposed to say?_' He questioned.

"**Stall him. I need to think about this.**" Kyuubi stated, settling down to do precisely that.

"Tell ya what. How about you help me get into the academy, or rather, sign up to enter at the beginning of the next instruction year," Naruto shrugged as he corrected himself, "And we'll see where things go from there." He said.

"Alright. That seems quite reasonable." Sarutobi nodded, but was still concerned inwardly.

So the two shook on their agreement, then proceeded to exit the tower to head for the academy, though on the way out, more than a few of the workers and clerks were unhappily shocked to see Naruto in the presence of the Hokage. So after a few crossly exchanged words, and the Hokage threatening a few jobs, they made their way along. Of course, the shock wasn't limited to just the clerks in the tower. The villagers on the streets were just as appalled, but they were less to say anything, settling for just glaring at Naruto like he was a corpse.

All the way to the academy, Kyuubi was silent as she pondered over the issue of keeping her and Naruto's secrets. She was trying to keep her embarrassment hidden as well. She was severely irked that she hadn't given their current situation advance thought. She had been so concerned with his training and keeping their connection a _complete _secret for quite a while, but now she realized they had to change their methods. She would need a cover identity that Naruto could tell others if need be. Otherwise, people would become too suspicious about some unknown teacher that Naruto never talked about. So she began thinking back over aliases she had used over the millennia...

Naruto kept silent himself as he let Kyuubi think. He was considering Sarutobi's actions. The old man certainly seemed interested enough to help. And now in hindsight, his question about Naruto's training should have been obvious to expect. A part of Naruto wanted to just come out and ask the old man what he knew about the tragedy of when Kyuubi attacked the village, but he knew it would be stupid to mention her in any context at the moment. The Hokage may be old, but he wasn't stupid, and he wasn't senile just yet. And mentioning Kyuubi right after talking about a mysterious trainer? Now **that **would be stupid. But maybe, someday, he would be able to ask the old man what happened.

Sarutobi wasn't silent on the way, as he had to speak to people in passing, but his mind was on Naruto as well as something else. He had been shocked out of his wits to have seen Naruto outside the window. And that he had used chakra to climb the tower... He definitely had been trained by someone who knew what they were doing. It was no small concern. And a decision was weighing heavily on Sarutobi, one he was ashamed to have to make...

They finally reached the academy, and entered into the main hall area. Naruto could feel the eyes on him, but just smirked as they entered the director's office. Sure enough, when Sarutobi addressed the person and said that Naruto was to be enrolled on the Hokage's orders, a variety of shouting matches kicked off as some of the staff outside heard what was going on and decided to add their two-bit opinions to the deal. Naruto just tuned them all out except to keep watch for if Sarutobi addressed him.

"**Ok Naruto-kun, I believe I've worked out what you can tell the Old-Man about your 'trainer' when he asks again.**" Kyuubi spoke up. "**And it will be what you can tell anyone else who may ask in the future. But it's very important to make sure you always tell the same thing, or else it'll mean big trouble.**" She warned.

'_Yeah, I figured that much. But I don't really like the idea of lying to people._' Naruto sighed.

"**Well, technically, you won't be lying. I've lived in human form before. So I just tell you about that, and you tell anyone who asks. It will be the truth, so there's no lie for anyone to detect and they'll believe it, but it'll also be something no one will actually be able to confirm, so it'll be like trying to find a living ghost.**" Kyuubi snickered slightly. "**This way, even if someone tries to investigate your 'trainer', they'll never be able to find anything. After all, it's been over a hundred years since I last lived as a human.**" She remarked wistfully. "**Unless you count my vicariously experiencing life through your senses.**"

'_Interesting. So, what is it? What kind of person are you as a human?_' Naruto watched as a teacher quit from the outrage of the possibility of having to teach 'the demon child'.

"**Well, we can work on you memorizing all the details later, but for now, you can tell him what he wants to know. My name.**" She said. Naruto nearly fell out of his chair, but it went unnoticed by the adults who were still arguing.

'_WHAT!? After all we've done to hide our connection, you want me to just blurt out that Kyuubi is my trainer!?_' He freaked, struggling to keep his outward face calm. Not an easy task.

"**No, I don't want you to blurt out that THE Kyuubi is your trainer. I said you'll tell him my name. Not my title.**" She said with a slight sigh.

'_...What? Your... title?_' Naruto blinked in slight shock at the implication. '_But... I thought... You've always... Kyu-chan..._' Naruto was so confused, he lost all concentration on the other people in the room.

"**Kyuubi means 'nine tails', remember? You knew that the very first day we began speaking to each-other. Do you really think that could be my name?**" She asked.

'_Of course I did! You told me it was! You always told me to call you... call you..._' Naruto felt a horrible pain in his heart. '_All these years... you... you never told me your real name?_' He felt sickly all over. He felt like he wanted to go crawl into a hole filled with flesh-eating scarabs to escape the feeling. '_You... never... trusted me..._'

"**THAT'S NOT IT!**" Kyuubi screeched in panic, realizing what Naruto was feeling for the second time in his life. Betrayal.

'_Yes it is. There couldn't be any other reason in this situ-_' Naruto began to shake. He was unaware that at that moment, Sarutobi happened to glance at him, and frowned at Naruto's apparent distress that seemed to have no cause. The old man turned back to resume his arguing with the academy staff.

"**Naru-kun, the reason, the absolutely only reason I've never told you my true name is because it can't be pronounced by humans!**" Kyuubi cried desperately. Naruto frowned.

'_What are you talking about? How can it be a name if it can't be pronounced?_' He was certain something was off. '_If it is really a name, I'll be able to pronounce it. So tell me. I want to know your true name. It's only right that I use it if we're friends, right?_' Naruto insisted.

"**Alright. I'll tell you, but as I said, you won't be able to pronounce it. Not even mentally.**" The anxious kitsune warned.

'_Ha. Try me._' Naruto challenged.

"**Oh sooooo? Well, if you're _really _sure...**" She playfully mocked, trying to quickly turn things light to ease Naruto's feelings. "**Alright then, my true name is-**" And what Naruto heard, was undoubtedly the strangest sound, or sounds, that he would ever hear in his life. Ranging from a deep rumbling sound that made his stomach do flips of nausea, to a grating roar that was worse than nails on a chalkboard that drilled into his skull, to finally a soothing, almost musical keening that allowed Naruto to relax. It was several moments before he realized his furry companion was finished.

'_O-Kaayyyy. So, what was that human name of yours going to be?_' Naruto asked sheepishly in embarrassment as the vixen laughed heartily. Even as she told him, Sarutobi walked over, having finally managed to intimida-er, I mean, convince, the academy instructors that it was for the best that Naruto be allowed to attend classes.

"Naruto? Are you ok?" The Hokage asked, watching the blonde intently.

"Sure. Why?" Naruto stood up as he tilted his head at the old man.

"Well, you seemed to be in some discomfort a moment ago. Anything wrong?" Sarutobi looked him up and down very carefully. "You were holding your ears as if some noise was bothering you."

"**Noise!? What nerve!**" Kyuubi huffed.

"I was just trying to get all my nervousness and jitters out of the way now, so I don't have to go through them later." Naruto said, trying not to giggle at Kyuubi's annoyance at her name being called noise.

"What are you talking about?" Sarutobi asked, motioning as they walked out to exit the academy.

"You know, the whole first day nervousness, and fitting into a new group awkwardness when I start at the academy." Naruto stopped suddenly to look at the old man. "Uh, I am in right? I kinda tuned out the whole yelling curses and obscenities part. So I might've missed..." He looked up hopefully.

"Don't worry, you're in." Sarutobi chuckled. "As I've been saying, you'll start at the beginning of the next instruction year. In preparation, I think it's time your apartment should actually resemble an apartment." He said, causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow in question. "I've looked into hiring a small crafters team, from outside the village of course, to come and rebuild your apartment." Sarutobi held up a halting hand to stop Naruto's comments. "I'm sorry I couldn't arrange it sooner, but somehow, others I've tried in the past have always backed out at the last minute for some reason. But I've finally managed to nail down a group, if you'll pardon the pun, and they should arrive in about two weeks."

"Oh, that's... good.." Naruto said after a few silent moments of walking.

"You don't sound very excited about it." Sarutobi frowned.

"**He's right, this is a very good thing! Why are you feeling uneasy? I... ... Oh... I see.**" Kyuubi trailed off as Naruto's thoughts played out.

"Naruto?" Sarutobi asked again, with more concern over the boy's silence.

"Oh, no, it's fine!" Naruto said smiling. "It's just that... well, if the place gets fixed up and all, then I'll have my own place to live, without ever having to bother anyone else." He said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

The Hokage nodded slowly in understanding at Naruto's fear, of winding up staying in that same apartment for the rest of his life... alone. He put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, and was very pleased when he didn't flinch or try to pull away.

"Don't worry Naruto. I'm sure that some day you'll find someone who will be willing to be there for you, no matter how bothersome you are." The old man chuckled. Naruto rolled his eyes at the mild joke, but then straightened up.

"Well, technically, I already do have ONE person like that." He said, stopping to face his elder. "The person who helped train me. And since you helped me get into the academy, and I believe I can trust you, I guess the least I can do is agree to what you asked." Naruto said, capturing Sarutobi's complete attention.

"Oh? You're willing to tell me who it is who trained you?" He asked with total interest.

"Her name is Kyaena Unaikaji. But I hope you'll understand if I'm hesitant to tell you anything more than that right now." Naruto leveled an absolutely serious gaze at the master shinobi.

"That's ok, I understand. All I asked for was her name after all." Sarutobi smiled. "Now, there's one more matter. After your apartment is made proper, we'll have to get some basic ninja equipment for you, since the academy is only required to provide certain materials for courses, mainly due to the fact that most students who enroll are able to provide certain things themselves." He said cautiously.

"You mean because their families provide them." Naruto sighed, his face falling slightly. Sarutobi coughed awkwardly.

"Yes. But since you will be expected to have some materials, I'll see to it. As I said, when your apartment is rebuilt, and you then have a place to keep them." He explained.

"Will I have a say in how the apartment is rebuilt? Because I would like it to be in two parts. A living half, and a training/study half." Naruto said.

"I don't see why that would be any problem. Your apartment is in the top floor of the building, and it only has the few rooms as I recall. It should be simple to turn it into all one residence. And also, just so you know," Sarutobi added, remembering something, "As of last week, you are the sole owner of that apartment building. No one has shown interest in it in years, and there was no remaining record of anyone owning it at this point. After some careful consideration, I thought it would solve some future problems before they got started." He said while in the process of packing his pipe with fresh incense. Naruto just stared at him, blank-faced.

'_Great, not only will I have to live in an apartment all alone, but now I have a whole stinking empty building!_' Naruto grumbled inwardly. '_What the heck am I supposed to do with an empty building!?_'

"**Well, at the very least, it's available space for whatever reason might come up.**" Kyaena commented. "**After all, better to have and not need, than to need and be without.**"

'_To need and be without?_' Naruto asked sourly. Kyaena flinched.

"**Sorry. Anyway, he said the craftsmen will arrive in two weeks. I say we spend that time deciding how we want to have the building changed.**" She offered in suggestion.

'_Agreed._' Naruto conceded and looked back up at Sarutobi who was watching him with great intent. "Well, alright. If you're giving me the whole building, I guess I might as well get back and take a better look around. I'll try to have a plan worked out by the time the craftsmen show up." Naruto shrugged. "I guess I should be going. I'll see you later old man." Naruto waved as he headed off, leaving the Hokage in a state of much greater stress than he appeared on the outside.

Naruto made his way back to his apartment quickly, and he began examining every part of the building. Ultimately, the two spiritually connected friends decided to have the entire ground floor sealed off and turned into a storage area accessible only by a trapdoor that would be in the upper floor apartment. Basically this would mean most people wouldn't be able to get in. The upper floor, as figured, would be mostly a living space, with a room just for studying, and the separate bath room of course. That was unfortunately about the extent of what they could plan for the craftsmen, because all the 'extra' things they thought up, Naruto would have to do himself, so no one would know. So those plans had to be drawn out separately. And also, until the craftsmen were done, Naruto had to find temporary new hiding spots for his few possessions and his astounding sized savings of money, that he _still _didn't realize was anything impressive.

Later, Naruto treated himself to a six-bowl ramen lunch with a quart of fruit juice and a quart of milk, that Naruto had inexplicably began insisting on once he learned Ichiraku's served it. Kyaena didn't mind at all, since it was obviously something the boy needed in his diet, plus, she had a sneaking suspicion that there were other reasons he would be so insistant... Naruto was heading back to his apartment again, when he suddenly stopped and looked around franticly.

"**That same feeling again?**" Kyaena asked.

'_Yeah. It's been happening quite a bit these last two or three weeks. I'd swear I'm being watched, and I'm not talking about that ANBU that seems to follow me around._' Naruto frowned, carefully looking up and down the street, ignoring the hostile looks from most of the villagers.

"**Well, I haven't felt anything wrong. Whatever it is, even _if _you're being watched, it hasn't interfered with your life yet.**" Kyaena observed.

'_Eh. Whatever._' Naruto shrugged and continued on his way.

* * *

After parting with Naruto, Sarutobi headed back to the Hokage tower. He was actually a little disappointed at Naruto's reaction, or lack thereof, to the news that he now had his own home.

'_However, home is only where the heart is, and that building is still as empty to Naruto as it has ever been._' Sarutobi thought sadly as he took his seat in his office. Since parting with Naruto, he felt a terrible weight bearing down on himself. The weight of a decision. He truly wished he could choose not to do so, but unfortunately, being Hokage meant that he sometimes had to make sacrifices. Even sacrifices of his own conscience. So he called a pair of his assistants into his office, and they stood waiting. "I have a priority task for you." Sarutobi said at last to the pair. "You are to begin going through records of Konoha, as well as any records of all towns and settlements in Fire Country that are available. The only one not to be investigated at this time is the capitol."

"Um, search for what?" Asked assistant1.

"Yes, that is an enormous volume of information. What are we looking for Hokage-sama?" Asked assistant2.

"What you are looking for," Sarutobi sighed slightly, "Is mention, any mention, of a woman named Kyaena Unaikaji. I'm afraid I have no other information to help narrow the search at this time, however I will be attempting to gather what information I can, and will inform you as I make progress. You will bring to my attention any and all records that mention this woman's name. Since I don't even know how old she is, you are to go back into the records as far as one hundred years." Sarutobi puffed solemnly on his pipe. The two ninja glanced at each-other.

"Forgive us Hokage-sama, but we have to have something more. We have to at least know where to begin looking." Assistant1 said with unease. Sarutobi leaned back in his chair to consider.

"The name itself is slightly unusual. It's the kind of name that would definitely stand out. If it is her real name, which is itself a problem." He said after a few moments. "I suppose the best place to start, is with the traffic reports of Konoha's Gate. A time frame back... eight years." He watched for any reaction from the two in front of him, but the significance of his chosen time frame seemed lost on them. "Start with records of possibly suspicious women who were traveling alone and who live in Fire Country. However, if that doesn't turn up any leads, begin looking into small traveling groups, and after that, those that traveled from beyond the borders."

"Yes Hokage-sama. I believe I understand now. And that is a much smaller area to research." Assistant2 nodded.

"Very well. Begin with that. I will try to find out more specifics about the woman. However, if this doesn't turn up any information, the wider research will have to begin." Sarutobi said as the two assistants bowed and left. After a moment, he slowly bowed his head in shame. '_Please forgive me Naruto. I believe you when you say you trust her, but I must be absolutely certain that she isn't trying to use you for her own purposes. I only wish I could claim innocence of the same._'

The man known as Hokage sat quietly in his office doing paperwork, even as he coped with the guilt of having to investigate someone, the only one, Naruto would call a friend. He tried to remember that it was for Naruto's protection, not just the village's.

Sarutobi worked for a little more than two hours on his paperwork, purposefully trying to occupy himself. However, he was interrupted when an ANBU appeared in his office in a puff of smoke.

"Forgive the intrusion Hokage-sama." Itachi bowed.

"Ah, Itachi. I was intending to speak to you later, but now is just as good. But before that, what is it that brought you here?" Sarutobi sat up to observe the ninja before him.

"I came seeking clarification. I have just heard an... interesting, rumor." Itachi said, keeping his head bowed.

"Oh? And what would that be?" Sarutobi couldn't help but be interested in any rumor that would get Itachi's attention.

"Is it true, that you have allowed Naruto-kun to enroll at the academy?" Itachi asked in a completely even and unsuspicious tone. Which was, of course, suspicious.

"Hmm. That was only just over two hours ago." Sarutobi puffed. "But I suppose I shouldn't be surprise that information like that would get around pretty quickly."

"So it is true. I wouldn't have expected the staff at the academy to agree to it." Itachi said, an observation, not a question.

"I managed to... persuade them. He'll begin in a few months at the beginning of the next instruction year. And speaking of instruction..." Sarutobi's gaze turned quite hard. "I am becoming very irritated at your failure to report important matters concerning Naruto." At this, Itachi finally looked up to meet the Hokage's gaze.

"I don't understand." The Uchiha ANBU said simply.

"When Naruto came to me for help in entering the academy, he did so by climbing up the wall of the tower and knocked on my window!" Sarutobi gestured to the window behind his chair. "You have never mentioned he was already training to become a shinobi!" His voice had raised a bit, something he didn't like happening, as it was a pitifully obvious giveaway to his agitation. "Now, I don't care how long it takes, you are to give me a complete report on Naruto's training, and absolutely everything you've found out about his sensei!" Sarutobi demanded, while pulling out a blank paper and pen, ready to take the appropriate notes. But Itachi just blinked.

"I don't know what you mean." He stated. Sarutobi tried to control himself. Regardless of how skilled Itachi was, his tendency towards monotoning of late was getting irritating, not to mention the aforementioned growing habit of omitting far too much information.

'_It's almost as if he's beginning to consider himself above such things. Very disturbing._' Sarutobi took a measured breath before continuing. "The woman who has been training Naruto. Tell me every detail you can about her."

"I'm afraid you've been misinformed, Hokage-sama. No one has been training him." Itachi said, though one eyebrow twitched slightly. Sarutobi leaned forward with a gaze that would have made a lesser man piss himself.

"Naruto himself told me that a woman named Kyaena Unaikaji has been training him in preparation to enter the academy. Are you calling him a liar?" The Hokage demanded.

"I do not know why he would tell you that, but I swear, on whatever you would have me swear on, that he has remained alone. I have seen no one helping him." Itachi replied. Despite his experience, Sarutobi couldn't detect any sense of deception. And it confused him greatly.

'_Naruto wasn't lying, Itachi doesn't seem to be lying. But they can't both be telling the truth._' Sarutobi pondered unhappily. "Could she have been hiding? A genjutsu perhaps?" The veteran ninja contemplated.

"No. For a genjutsu to be powerful enough to deceive me, others would feel the exertion of chakra to use it." Itachi answered.

"I suppose that's true. But the likelihood that Naruto learned how to control his chakra like that by accident on his own is slim to none. Something strange is going on." Sarutobi frowned as he puffed on his pipe, deep in thought. "I suppose I'll just have to try to get more information out of Naruto, though I'll have to be careful about it." He looked at Itachi. "Well, if that issue can't be addressed just now, then tell me about what training Naruto _has _been engaged in."

"He hasn't been doing training." Itachi said, but it was clearly the wrong thing to say as Sarutobi finally lost his temper as he bolted to his feet and slammed his hands on his desk.

"Then just tell me what he HAS been doing! Anything! Everything! That is an ORDER!" The Hokage shouted, actually causing Itachi to take a single step backwards.

"Very well, Hokage-sama." Itachi said, and proceeded to list the various routine tasks Naruto busied himself with from day to day. But after only a few minutes, Sarutobi again lost his composure.

"How can you call that 'not training'!? It sounds like Naruto has been working on everything he can other than jutsu!" The seriously steamed shinobi shouted sternly.

"How can it be training if he has no sensei? He doesn't know what he's doing, he's just guessing." Itachi commented.

"And I'm guessing that you're no longer the best person to keep watch over Naruto! That assignment is, as of now, over! Your inability to follow the simple directive of reporting on Naruto's well-being is disgraceful!" Sarutobi fumed. "If Naruto hadn't come to me to help him enter the academy, who knows how much longer this would have gone on! You're withdrawn from all duties until I can arrange an evaluation to reassess your capabilities! Consider yourself lucky if I get around to it sometime this decade! Dismissed!" The Hokage sat down in his chair abruptly, intending to resume his never-ending paperwork. But after a moment, when he looked up, Itachi was still standing right where he was.

"Hokage-sama, you shouldn't allow Naruto-kun to enter the academy." Itachi said with calm evenness. Sarutobi's eyebrow twitched. "The risk of death as a ninja is too high."

"Itachi... You are bordering on insubordination. Naruto has as much right to enter the academy as anyone. It'll be up to him to see if he truly has what it takes to be a shinobi. Now. You. Are. Dismissed." Sarutobi's tone was one that had inspired fear in the enemy of the last shinobi war. But Itachi just bowed and disappeared. The Hokage just stared at the empty space where Itachi had been. '_This was not the end of it. Something bad is going to happen with the Uchiha..._'

Sarutobi puffed on his pipe in thought.

* * *

The next couple days were strangely aggravating to Naruto, as he worked on the notes for the craftsmen when they would come to rebuild the apartment. What was aggravating was not that he had to make sure things would be as _he_ wanted, it was that he had to make sure things would be as _Kyaena _wanted. It seemed she was changing her mind constantly about things, or was never satisfied with details, no matter how many times they went over them.

First it was that the window had to be on a certain side of the room. Then a certain height. The frame had to be divided into a top/bottom. The window had to open outward vertically, and have double latches. The glass couldn't be to thin or thick, and it would be better for double panes for temperature control. And that was just for the one window.

Kyaena fussed over every detail. What percentage of floor space would be allocated to what. Where to put the bed and turn it which direction. Where to put the refrigerator (planning that they would get one). Why the bathroom had to be arranged a certain way, with the sink and tub and toilet. Where to put the trapdoor to the lower floor storage area. Where to have the cloths dresser (planning to get one). Even down to which way the grain in the floorboards would run, either lengthwise or widthwise to the room. Naruto was getting quite annoyed, up till the point where he just _had_ to ask...

'_Dang it Kyaena-chan! Why can't you just leave things as they are!? Why does everything have to be so exact!?_' He had demanded.

"**Eh. What can I say. We kitsune are obsessive over the quality of our dens/homes, no matter what shape or form, whether in fox or human form. And while your apartment is far from good enough for you, since it's all I have to work with, I'm at least going to get the most out of it.**" She had replied.

Well, there wasn't really anything Naruto could do to curb her natural instincts, so he just had to grin and bear it. But to make matters worse, while fussing over the apartment, Naruto wasn't getting as much training done. They both agreed to have to make up for it after the craftsmen were done.

It was about nine days since Naruto had gone with the Hokage to the academy. The majority of the day had been spent moving his few belongings, and his new collection of bulging froggy-wallets, to safe hidden spots nearby to keep them out from underfoot. As he cleaned what few odds and ends were left, it occurred to him that he would have to find someplace different to sleep for the time that his apartment was being worked on. Deciding that asking to stay with the Hokage or with Teuchi and Ayame would just be impolite, not to mention problematic due to the hassle the villagers would probably raise, the boy and his vixen spent the last hours of daylight managing to find a few comfy spots in the various parks around Konoha.

Returning to the apartment, Naruto turned in for a nights sleep, but neither he nor Kyaena were aware that there was about to be a rather nasty turn of events...

* * *

"**Wake up! Wake up Naruto-kun!**" Kyaena shouted franticly as she slapped the sides of her cage with her tails, sending twinges through her host.

Naruto groggily cracked his eyes open a bit, blinking slowly in the dark to get the usual wetness from his eyes. And it was still dark, not morning. Wondering what his friend could want, he went to yawn, only to find that he couldn't. Something was covering his mouth. He tried to sit up, only to find he was hanging face down. He tried to move, but found his arms and legs were bound tightly. And he wasn't in his dark apartment, he was outside, moving rapidly as buildings passed below him. Now shocked to the point of full consciousness, he looked around in alarm. He was being carried under one arm of a man who was making his way leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Although the man was darkly dressed, in the full moon light he still seemed familiar.

"Mmmph! Mmmph!" Naruto mouthed into his gag as he started to squirm.

The man carrying Naruto gave only a single glance down at him before his free hand came up and struck Naruto in the back of the head. The blast of pain that sparked white lights behind Naruto's eyes almost caused him to pass out again. Almost. But it was hard even on a good day, or bad, considering your point of view, to knock Naruto Uzumaki down. Even before the pain of the impact had completely registered, the familiar warmth of healing was washing it away, allowing him to hang onto his awareness.

"**Stay still for a moment! Don't let this guy know you're still awake!**" Kyaena ordered. Naruto let himself go limp, however uncomfortable it was at the moment.

'_What's going on!?_' Naruto felt cold. And it wasn't from the night air. It was because when his apparent abductor had looked down at him, that was all it took. A single glint of the moonlight off his red eyes. '_I don't get it! This is the ANBU that's been protecting me for the past few years! What is he doing!?_'

"**NOT protecting you, obviously!**" Kyaena snapped angrily. "**Damn it Naruto-kun! I warned you about staying away from this guy!**"

'_Well it seems _he _doesn't want to stay away from _me_!_' Naruto snapped back. Very carefully, he slowly tried to pull apart his hands, feeling a pinch as what felt like cord or wire was tied around his wrists. '_I can break these._' He noted.

"**Wait! Remember that method is only good for a single surprise action! Once he realizes that you're capable of it...**" She warned urgently.

'_He'll adjust his plans. I know. So, what, do I try to go for his neck?_' Naruto asked as his captor paused his rush upon a rooftop.

"**That would be a good idea, if you were capable of reaching it with your first move.**" Kyaena pondered as the ANBU dashed onward again.

'_Uh, Kyaena-chan, I'm getting the feeling that this guy isn't planning on stopping at the village edge..._' Naruto said as, even in the darkness, the giant wall of Konoha was becoming visible far off.

Kyaena was pondering her next advise, thinking that it would best for Naruto to attempt his escape as they reach the wall, since there was a higher likelihood of the presence of patrols. But the problem with that was the chance that the patrols would probably try to kill Naruto and blame the ANBU.

'**_It's not right. This wierdo wants Naru-kun alive more than anyone in the village other than Hokage-jiji, but only until he gets what he wants. Naru-kun means nothing to him. It's me he's after. He wants me alive, the villagers want me dead. But Naru-kun dies either way. It's almost impossible to tell what's the safer route to-_' **Kyaena's thoughts were interrupted when the ANBU carrying Naruto stopped sharply.

Deciding to take a chance, Naruto slowly looked up to see what was happening, trying to be subtle enough to not alert his captor. Two rooftops in front of them stood someone in dark ninja gear, but the moonlight also reflected off a few metal plates on his outfit, including the neck guard hanging from his skullcap. Naruto's eyes widened in recognition of the aged face beneath.

"Put Naruto down Itachi. You're not going anywhere." Sarutobi warned darkly. It was several moments before Itachi responded, again in his annoyingly calm and slightly detached tone.

"They will never tolerate him being a ninja, and I cannot risk it. The power inside him must not be lost." He stated. Naruto's eyebrows rose a bit at that.

"Such things are best left undisturbed, and undiscussed. Now, release Naruto, and I'll promise you a merciful death." Sarutobi adjusted his stance and brought his hands up, ready to unleash his jutsu. Itachi merely tilted his head slightly.

"**Naruto-kun, I think this might be as good a chance as you'll get. Get ready. Angle to the left when you strike.**" Kyaena said. Naruto silently began focusing...

"You can't beat me Itachi." Sarutobi called. "And you only have barely a minute before others arrive."

"I believe the others will be occupied elsewhere, as you will soon learn." Itachi pulled three shuriken into his free hand. "And if we fight, you'll only prove that you don't care for Naruto-kun's safety. But I must fulfill my true duty to-"

KAWHAM

Itachi's eyes widened in shock from the hit that sent him flying nearly forty feet to crash into the side of a building. An instant before, Naruto had wrenched his hands free and slipped down in Itachi's grip, enough to bring his still-bound legs up to deliver a single impact to Itachi's back. Even as the ANBU went flying, Naruto fell, bouncing on the roof, sliding towards the edge until he managed to catch himself, gripping at the tiles until he came to a stop.

Itachi leapt out from the damaged wall up to the roof, but it was already too late. Sarutobi had immediately positioned himself between Itachi and Naruto.

"Loss of position." Sarutobi smirked as his hands moved at a blurred pace. "Earth Art! Dragon Rock-" He began, but there was a sudden red flash from where Itachi stood, as the air itself seemed to bend and warp. Suddenly Itachi was gone. "Damn it! Release!" Sarutobi spat as he had to abruptly change hand-signs. But there was still no sign of Itachi.

Mumbling curses under his breath that would shock many of the ladies in the village, Sarutobi turned to look at Naruto who had managed to sit upright and remove his gag.

"Hey Old-Man! What the heck is going on!? Why did-" Naruto tried to ask, but didn't get the chance.

"Naruto! Go back to your apartment and stay there until I come to see you!" Sarutobi ordered in his full 'Hokage voice'.

"But why-" Naruto tried again.

"NARUTO! GO!" Sarutobi shouted, making Naruto flinch back in surprise.

"**Just do it Naru-kun! It's for your own safety!**" Kyaena urged.

Naruto didn't feel he had much choice with the both of them against him. He reached down to break the wire around his ankles with a 'twang', got up, looked around to orient himself, then sprinted off, leaping back across the roofs that he had been carried from. He never saw the look of shocked disbelief on Sarutobi, who turned to head in his own direction to search for Itachi.

'_That was standard issue ninja wire._' Sarutobi thought as he raced along. '_It's meant to hold up against even jounin prisoners. For Naruto to have been able to break it that easily... Great Kami... If his sensei has taught him THAT, at his age no less, it will be incredible to see what he's capable of once he enters the academy!_' A small proud smile creased his face for a moment, though then a curious look came over him. '_Could his sensei be... No, that's impossible. She left the village years ago. Naruto couldn't have been barely more than two at the time. But of all the people who have ever been able to harness that ability-_' His thoughts were interrupted as a squad of ANBU raced up and fell in formation next to him.

"Hokage-sama! We have a severe emergency!" One of the dog-masked ANBU spoke up.

"Report!" Sarutobi snapped.

"It's the Uchiha clan sir!" The ANBU replied, causing Sarutobi to whip around to look at them.

"They're attacking!?" The Hokage gasped at the unthinkable. Even with the mask on, Dog-BU seemed taken aback.

"N-no sir! They're... dead!" The ninja exclaimed. Sarutobi actually stumbled before stopping completely, the four ANBU landing in front of him in a rough line.

"What!?" The master ninja gasped. "How many!?"

"... Nearly all of them. So far... we've only found a single survivor." ANBU answered solemnly.

"This... isn't what I was expecting." Sarutobi whispered in shock to himself. He turned to the squad. "Itachi Uchiha is alive and on the run! I just prevented him from kidnapping a villager! I presume he is headed out of the village! Find him!" He pointed in the direction Itachi had been headed with Naruto.

"HAI!" The four ANBU zipped off, as Sarutobi changed direction and headed for the Uchiha clan estate.

'_What Itachi said about the other ninja being occupied... Did he kill members of his own clan? What the heck is going on!?_' Sarutobi thought in confusion.

* * *

Naruto yawned as he sat waiting in his apartment, trying to stay awake. He had been waiting for the Hokage for at least a couple hours, and there was already light beginning to grow on the horizon. But both Naruto and Kyaena felt it was best if Naruto stay awake until the old man showed up, recent events considering.

Naruto had tried asking questions, but Kyaena was being strangely quiet, only speaking up whenever Naruto was about to nod off. But finally, a knock came from his worn and battered door.

Naruto had his one and only (real) kunai in hand before the door even stopped vibrating.

"It's not like it's locked!" Naruto called. The door opened and Sarutobi walked in, dressed in his usual white and red robes, hat on his head, and pipe in hand.

"You don't look too good." Sarutobi commented as Naruto relaxed and set his kunai down next to himself.

"Well, if I had known you were going to take so long, I would've taken a nap. I hope that's out." Naruto pointed to the pipe. "This place is a borderline fire-trap you know."

"I haven't lit it yet." Sarutobi replied as he looked around the room once before looking back to the boy. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, but your little outing earlier wasn't the only problem that happened."

"Oh? What else happened?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, I can't discuss it right now. I'm afraid I can't stay either. I just need to ask you if the man that tried to kidnap you said anything to you. Anything at all." Sarutobi held a serious gaze.

"Nope. Nothing. I went to sleep like a log in here," Naruto gestured to his bed, "And woke up being carried off like a log out there." He thumbed to the window. "I had only just woken up right before you stopped the guy. His name was... Itachi, right?" Naruto asked. "That's what I heard you call him?"

"So, he didn't say anything to you." Sarutobi fingered his pipe a bit. "I'm sorry Naruto, but I have to go. Thank you for the information." He turned to leave.

"Wait! What information!? All I said was he didn't say anything! What else happened last night!?" Naruto asked, slightly afraid that something else was going on. "I know that Itachi has been watching over me the last couple years!" Naruto blurted, making Sarutobi stop at the door. "So why would he suddenly do this? Why now when he's had plenty of opportunity before? Why didn't he want me to become a ninja!?"

"I thought you said he didn't say anything to you!" Sarutobi whipped around to glare at Naruto, who shook his head.

"I said I woke up right before you stopped him. I heard what he said to _you_, but he didn't say anything _to me_." Naruto clarified. Sarutobi relaxed a bit, but then adopted a slightly worried look.

"You heard what he said?" He asked slowly.

"Yeah, and that's what makes no sense! He was contradicting himself! In one breath he said I shouldn't be a ninja, then in the next, he goes and says how I've got so much potential! What was he thinking?" Naruto asked.

"I'm sorry Naruto." Sarutobi said, relaxing again as he shook his head. "I don't have the answer to that question. Unfortunately, the motives of traitors are often known only to themselves."

"T-traitors?" Naruto asked, wide-eyed.

"A sad truth of the life as a ninja. No matter how rare, it is always difficult to deal with." Sarutobi sighed, and Naruto was surprised at how much older the Hokage seemed for a moment. "Seeing someone you thought you could trust turn their back on everything and everyone. Betraying the bonds they had..."

"Well you don't have to worry about me! I swear I'll never betray the village!" Naruto jumped up with a determined, stern-set jaw. Sarutobi blinked in surprise at the boy's declaration for a second before smiling.

"I certainly hope not." He chuckled as he gave the boy a pat on the head. "It would certainly mean disaster if Naruto Uzumaki ever turned against us." Sarutobi said with jovial sarcasm, before reaching for the door again. "Don't worry about that man anymore. I doubt you'll ever see him again."

'**_Hmph. We could only be so lucky._' **Kyaena thought as the Hokage left, pulling the door closed behind him.

Naruto stood motionless for a minute or so, just looking at the door.

'_So. You think he bought it?_' He asked casually with a slight twitch of his mouth.

"**Seemed to.**" Kyaena responded equally casually with a gentle flick of her tails. "**It was pretty obvious he was concerned about you learning of, 'something better left undisturbed and undiscussed'. I must say, I think that's the first time I've ever heard myself described like that.**" She snickered as Naruto sat down on his bed with a yawn. "**And speaking of describing me, since you're sleep got messed up tonight, go ahead and lie down. Then come to the cage. While your body is resting today, I'll tell you more about my human life.**" She instructed. Naruto was almost half ahead of her as he curled up, and let his mind focus inward.

Outside the apartment, on the street, the Hokage walked quickly towards the tower, where grave matters awaited his attention. At least he believed one other potential problem had been nipped before it could cause trouble.

'_It may seem cruel, but I suppose I should consider myself lucky._' Sarutobi thought to himself. '_Naruto misunderstood what Itachi said. The death of the entire Uchiha clan, save one, will be causing me enough headaches for a while. The worst thing that could happen now would be for Naruto to learn of the horrible, merciless monster that's trapped within him... And I'm sure Naruto will find out about the Uchiha clan deaths soon enough._' He sighed as he let the matter drop from his mind.

Oh, how he would have reacted had he known that at that moment, the 'horrible monster' was giving her host an interesting 'show and tell' lesson...

* * *

In the mindscape of the seal, Naruto stood in the clean, dry, well-kempt room in front of the cage.

"Wow! So _that's _what you look like as a human!" Naruto gaped as he looked through the bars at a transformed Kyaena.

"**Well, it's _one _of my human forms, and admittedly, definitly my most favorite.**" The vixen smiled as she turned around in place, examining the royal-quality kimono she was dressed in. "**I'm just glad I was able to change my appearance inside here. Now, back to my history. In the lifetime that I looked like this, I was an artist and calligrapher, and a damn good one if I do say so myself...**" She sat down next to the bars as Naruto sat down right next to her on the other side of the bars.

* * *

Naruto spent the next few days learning Kyaena's cover story, until the craftsmen finally arrived in the village. When they showed up, Sarutobi came out just long enough for Naruto to give him the building notes, look over them for approval, then hand them to the craftsmen. Once Sarutobi had left, there was nothing for Naruto to do except keep out of the craftsmen's way. It would be approximately two weeks to have the building re-done. Quite a quick timeframe, but the workers had been contracted to focus ONLY on the one building. So, with it as their priority, and the seemingly always good weather of Konoha, Naruto and Kyaena thought that two weeks was excellent.

Naruto set about his training while waiting for his apartment to be finished. But something unusual caught his attention. After only two days, he noticed the villagers acting a bit out of the ordinary. In addition to the normal loathing and annoyance, they looked terrified. Many would even rush out of sight upon seeing him, or jump into the nearest building to get off the street if he so much as stood still for more than a few moments. It was very confusing, so Naruto decided some stealthy snooping was in order. He managed to find a spot just above a intersection of the market that he could simply wait, and listen.

"Is it true? The demon killed them all?"

"I heard that one survived! A boy!"

"The Uchiha were so strong! Only a demon could have killed them all so viciously!"

"An entire clan wiped out! Who knows which clan might be next!"

"No no, I heard the Uchiha had a specific hatred that caused the beast to kill them in revenge!"

"How could it happen in the quiet of the night without anyone seeing or hearing?"

"Why would the boy be spared? Was it just luck?"

"Maybe we shouldn't risk angering the demon further..."

"I heard it was a ninja, not the demon!"

"From another village? Which one?"

"Impossible, no one ninja could take out the whole Uchiha clan!"

Naruto listened for a long time as he and Kyaena tried to pick out the truths from the gossip, rumors and speculations. Most of the people didn't really know what was going on. Only two things were repeated enough to most likely be true. One, the Uchiha were wiped out except for a single survivor. Two, it happened the night that Itachi tried to kidnap Naruto, though the villagers didn't know about that part, Naruto just heard them saying what night it happened.

Naruto was concerned about the villagers thinking he did it. He found himself surprised at his own unhappiness at their sudden fear of him. Kyaena was concerned that the village might demand for Naruto's death to allay their paranoia, regardless of what was the truth.

But as quickly as it started, it actually passed. In only another two-three days, the 'truth' had become known. A ninja had killed the Uchiha clan, and had been driven from the village. It was actually a mixed reaction in the village. Some were of course upset at the thought of the life that was lost and the ninja escaping, but others were relieved. Though it wasn't spoken at all, many were glad that the 'demon' had not been responsible, for that would have only added to their fear that the whole village would be destroyed. No, the demon was still 'under control' for the time being, and Naruto was back to being the village pariah as usual... almost.

There was one last result of this disaster. The short, extreme fear that the villagers had experienced at the thought of the demon getting free. Even though they knew Naruto hadn't been responsible, thinking too much about the possibility caused people to want to stop thinking about it at all. When people looked at Naruto now, they saw something they didn't want to see. The villagers came to realize that they couldn't touch him anymore. Not only had Naruto's training made him uncatchable by most of them, but the Uchiha massacre left them afraid of their own fears coming true if the monster really were to go berserk. To them, Naruto became a looming shadow in the background. Stare at it too long and fear would overwhelm you, even if you _knew_ it couldn't touch you. The only was to escape it was to ignore it. Don't look at it, don't speak of it. Pretend it didn't exist, and foolishly believe it wouldn't exist. Many had always blatantly refused to accept Naruto's presence, but now it became a numbly casual distancing.

Even when the day came that the craftsmen finished Naruto's building apartment, Naruto wasn't sure how to deal with the rapidly shifting attitude of everyone. While in the process of moving his things back into the apartment, he had walked right through a group of talking women. They didn't look at him at all, they didn't speak to him in any way. They just shifted aside to let him though like some invisible breeze that parted grass then allowed the blades to return to exactly as they were.

Kyaena told Naruto that dwelling too much on the opinions of the bigoted villagers would only cause him needless headaches, and Naruto didn't put up any argument as there were still a few things left to be done. After a day to get all his things back into his apartment, Naruto went to see the Hokage about his ninja equipment. Seeking to avoid unnecessary hassle, Naruto didn't even bother with the front doors, he just went right up the wall and knocked on the window like before. Sarutobi asked Naruto to use the main entrance in the future, but Naruto just said it was too troublesome trying to deal with the guards. Besides, it was good chakra training.

They went to what was traditionally jokingly called 'Armament Alley', even though it was just a regular street. It was so named, obviously, due to the high number of equipment and repair shops along both sides. Most of the best equipment used by the village ninja was obtained from these shops, and as such, the owners of the shops were accustomed to seeing and hearing all sorts of situations and mission objectives. But none of them ever expected they would see the day that Naruto Uzumaki would walk into their shops.

Naruto had a list that Sarutobi had given him, and took care to check off everything. Some of the shop owners were less than thrilled to have Naruto poking around, but couldn't dare even say anything with the Hokage watching over their shoulders. Kyaena wanted Naruto to get a few other things extra, but as soon as he tried to pick the items up, Sarutobi told him to stay limited to the provided list. Naruto argued that he wouldn't be allowed to get things on his own later, and offered to pay for his own picks of equipment. Sarutobi relented, and was a bit surprised at the specific choices Naruto picked. Nothing extreme, but just unexpected.

With the equipment, and a few new cloths, placed securely back in Naruto's apartment, the two took a late lunch at Ichiraku's. It would be a most unfortunate meal, as Sarutobi had some bad news...

* * *

_**CRASH**_

"WHATDAYA _MEAN_ I CAN'T ATTEND THE ACADEMY!?" Naruto seethed.

Sarutobi, Teuchi and Ayame gaped in shock at the suddenly vicious boy, and the half-full bowl of ramen that had just been crushed between his hands.

"This year, Naruto!" Sarutobi waved in defense. "I said you'll be unable to attend the academy _this year_!"

"WHY NOT!?" Naruto was tense, his right hand fingernails digging into the wood of the counter. "Does this have to do with the Uchiha?" He tried to speak through his clenched teeth.

"Ah, yes, I'm afraid so." Sarutobi cleared his throat awkwardly as he recomposed himself. Teuchi went back to his cooking as Ayame came around the bar with some rags.

"Don't mind me." She squeaked as she cleaned up the ramen. Sarutobi sighed.

"Naruto, you have to realize, our village has lost an entire clan! It has caused a severe disruption to everyone!" The elder explained. "We're still in the process of reassigning ninja all over the village, and trying to cover existing contracts due to the loss of ranks."

"All the more reason I need to get into the academy and graduate! Why restrict entry now of all times?" Naruto paused then narrowed his eyes at the Hokage. "Is the academy being closed this year only? Are the other clans wanting to hold off for a year to let things reorganize?" Naruto asked slowly. When Sarutobi broke eye contact, it was all the answer Naruto could tolerate. "No, it's just me, isn't it? It's a political thing right? Just because of everyone's hidden fears..." Naruto grumbled.

"**Take it easy. With the unexpected deaths of the Uchiha, I suppose this was unavoidable. Give the old man some credit, after all, he's got lots of responsibilities to cover, including preventing panic and riot.**" Kyaena said, though she couldn't hide her own irritation from her voice.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I wish I could explain everything. But at least you can enter the academy next year." Sarutobi said.

"I'll be nine when I enter! There are some kids that have already graduated by the time they're nine!" Naruto complained.

"Not at all. That is actually quite rare." Sarutobi corrected. "You have nothing to worry about. From what I've seen, you're doing quite well for yourself, and I'm sure your sensei will keep you busy enough that you won't even notice the time passing." The old man smiled. "You'll be entering the academy before you know it!"

"Well, Kyaena-chan has never wanted me to consider her 'sensei'. She isn't even a ninja, after all." Naruto shrugged, and Sarutobi's eyebrows tried to follow in the wake of his slightly receding hairline.

"What? Not a ninja?" He sputtered, as Ayame finally got the messed all cleaned up, and put a new bowl in front of Naruto.

"Thanks Ayame-chan. What? Oh, yeah. She's an artist. So she can't teach me jutsu or shinobi rules or anything like that. That's what's taught at the academy." Naruto clarified as he blew on his fresh ramen a bit.

"But... How then... But you, I've seen you using excellent chakra skill! How could your, er, teacher, have taught you that if she isn't a ninja?" Sarutobi asked in severe confusion. Naruto paused in his olfactory appreciation of his new meal to give a strange look at the old man.

"Uh, because chakra exists in all living things and in all people, not just ninja." Naruto said like it was obvious. "How could you not know that? Anyway, Kyaena-chan, regardless that she was never trained as a kunoichi, is an unrivaled expert when it comes to chakra. She even uses it in her artistry, from what she's told me." Naruto paused as he slurped up a few noodles. "I would've thought it'd been obvious by now. She's only ever helped me with basic exercises. Physical training and mental exercises, but she's always stressed chakra training the most. She says it's more important for me, because I have more stamina and chakra potential than anyone she's seen in a long time."

'_Well, she's certainly right about that._' Sarutobi thought to himself. "Fine, fine. I guess I can't really question the methods of someone I've never met." Sarutobi said as he gave a meaningful look to Naruto, who pretended not to notice as he chewed a mouthful of noodles and chicken. "Well," Sarutobi coughed awkwardly, "If nothing else, perhaps I can suggest something for your chakra training. The next level past the wall walking exercise you've been doing. It might sound fantastic, but if you suggest to Kyaena-san the possibility of walking on water-"

"I'm past that." Naruto said between bites of what was in fact his fourth bowl. Sarutobi stopped, blank-faced.

"What?" The Hokage asked numbly.

"I said I'm already past the water walking exercise. I'm working on point balancing, but it's slow-going." Naruto said, looking back up at his idol. "Since, of course, every time I fall, I puncture something, and I have to work with each section of my body and chakra points in turn. I wasn't expecting to be done with it by the time I entered the academy." Naruto paused to consider when he took a gulp of milk. "But maybe waiting will be worth it. If I can progress to flow splitting by the time I enter..." The boy pondered.

Sarutobi was gawking, drop jawed, gob-smacked, or whatever you want to call it. The look on his face was too much for Kyaena, who burst out laughing.

"**HAHAHAHA! I don't believe it! The great and wise Sandaime Hokage struck speechless by a child's training progress! HAHAHA!**" She guffawed.

"Um, snort, are you ok Old-Man?" Naruto asked, struggling to keep a straight face.

"Y-you... You're working... on p-point balancing...?" Sarutobi forced himself to start breathing again. "That is a _very _advanced and dangerous training method! And flow splitting... Naruto, most _jounin _could spend their entire lives without ever fully mastering that exercise!"

"Have you?" Naruto asked with sudden interest.

"Naruto, flow splitting is also known as the waterfall exercise. And since waterfalls come in all shapes and sizes-" Sarutobi explained.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You start small, and work your way up to the biggest, fastest flowing ones. That's why it takes so long to work with. Kya-chan told me." Naruto huffed in annoyance. "But she says I have to do it. Because my chakra is so large, I have to work on it as much as I can. No shortcuts, no quitting, no excuses." Naruto returned to his ramen with gusto.

Sarutobi sat in stunned silence for a few minutes as he tried to come to grips with what the almost-but-not-quite-eight-year-old boy had just told him. The thought that not only was his sensei teaching him such advanced and difficult lessons, but that Naruto was actually progressing with them at an impressive rate. Sarutobi was infuriated that matters and events were against Naruto at the moment. That his own old partners had been so adamant at keeping Naruto out of the academy was abominable, especially at the more and more proof that showed Naruto did indeed have all the right qualities to be a great shinobi. If it were up to the old man, he'd march Naruto over to the academy himself on the day of entrance. He had more than a few promises he had made that gave him every right to do so. But, unfortunately, since those promises could still be kept even if Naruto had to wait an extra year, it meant that easing the tension in the village came first. But Sarutobi refused to keep pushing the matter back forever. A year, year-and-a-half, should be, and would have to be, enough time for the people to calm down. He wouldn't wait any longer than that.

"Well, Naruto, I have to get back to the office." Sarutobi handed his empty bowl to Ayame. "I'll see you later."

"Hey wait a minute." Naruto called, making the Hokage pause at the flaps of the ramen bar. "Next year. You promise?" Naruto glared hard.

"Yes Naruto. You can enter the academy next year. I swear on my nindo." Sarutobi nodded, then smiled. "And look at it this way: Now that you have proper ninja gear, having a year to practice with them will help you be even more prepared for the academy."

"**That's true.**" Kyaena nodded.

"That's true." Naruto nodded.

"Alright," Sarutobi chuckled, "So be sure to work hard, and if you have any problems, remember, please, no more window visits?" He shook his head in amusement as he placed his hat up. Ayame giggled, as Naruto had told her about a few of the Hokage's reactions when the boy had knocked.

Sarutobi left the stand, and after vacuuming up the rest of his bowl, Naruto paid and walked out as well. But once on the street, he paused. He frowned as he looked up and down the street at the villagers. As he began heading back to his apartment, he kept watching at the reactions or non-actions of the people. Most were trying to ignore him, but some still rushed off when he approached, or even looked at them.

'_I don't like this. They're afraid of me. They're still afraid of me! Even though they know I didn't do anything!_' Naruto complained as he quickened his pace.

"**I don't understand why you're getting so upset over this. They're certainly less likely to be trying to kill you if they're afraid to even come near you.**" Kyaena replied, swishing her tails around with slight agitation. She didn't like Naruto feeling the way he was.

'_First of all, you of all people know that's not necessarily true. Secondly, fear is worse that anger!_' Naruto argued. '_Come on! You taught me this! Before, they were just angry at me, and you. Angry because they thought as long as you live on in me, they've somehow been cheated out of some kind of resolve after the disaster. Which you still need to tell me about, don't forget._' Naruto commented. Kyaena just cleared her throat nervously as he continued. '_Anger doesn't last though._'

"**It's lasted for seven years already.**" Kyaena interrupted with a sour tone.

'_My **point**, if you'll allow me to make it, is that anger often gives way to regret. And when it does, the villagers wouldn't have anything left to judge me against. I'd be able to finally show them who I really am._' Naruto paused as he had to leap up to the rooftops. '_But fear... That digs down deep into people's spirit. It almost never goes away, because there's always that lingering uncertainty and doubt that just keeps repeating over and over in their minds._' Naruto reached the balcony walkway that served as his front porch as he let himself into his apartment.

"**Maybe if their minds weren't so small, they'd have room for more reason and compassion.**" Kyaena snorted, as Naruto walked into his study room where all the new ninja gear had been piled up. He slowly started unwrapping and sorting the equipment.

'_It's just not fair. Before, I had a real chance to belong, if I could just wait them out. But now... They might never stop fearing me. No matter what I do, no matter how great I might become..._' Naruto stabbed a brand new kunai into the table top. '_It's all because of Itachi and that damn Uchiha mess! I know it isn't right to blame the dead, but-_'

"**It is when they _are_ to blame! Now you listen real good, Naruto Uzumaki!**" Kyaena snapped, only calling him his full name when she was deadly serious. "**The Uchiha have been around longer than you, but not longer than me! I know them, and believe it, they had this coming!**" She growled, causing Naruto to fumble a pack of shuriken.

'_Wh-what? How... How can you say such a thing!?_' He drop-jawed. '_How could someone, anyone, deserve to be slaughtered like that!?_'

"**Because they're all spineless, arrogant, greedy, scheming, sadistic, back-stabbing worms! And what's more,**" Kyaena seethed with her fur bristling like needles, "**If you need proof, realize that in the past seven years, they have tried harder than anyone else in their attempts to kill you! I never let you know, but in all the worst attacks on you, it was always an Uchiha calling for your blood!**"

Naruto fell back onto his but in shock, both at the secret his best friend had been keeping, and the _hatred _in her voice when she said it.

'_B-but... Why? Why would they specifically hate us? What did they have against me? Were they afraid of you **that **much?_' Naruto struggled to understand.

"**What they were afraid of, was loosing their self-imposed superiority! They knew that with my help, you would become stronger than any of them could've ever _begged _to be! Their bloated egos couldn't stand the thought of being surpassed by an _honest_, hard working shinobi, who fights to uphold the _honor _of his name, rather than the _glory _of it!**" Kyaena hissed furiously, wishing she had something to tear apart in her jaws.

Naruto got back up and continued organizing his equipment for several minutes. He arranged the kunai hooks on the walls, the punch dummy, and the scroll rack/stand as he thought about what his partner had said.

'_Were... Were they really that bad?_' He asked at last. She gave a snort.

"**They would attack a innocent child without provocation, and that bastard Itachi, who was also an Uchiha incidentally, was a three-fold traitor! He betrayed his clan, his village, and the duty he supposedly had of protecting you! Does that answer your question!?**" She growled in frustration, but attempted to calm herself as she felt Naruto's stunned disappointment. "**Too many idiots wrongly call you and me monsters, and forget that those who only seek destruction and chaos, the traitors, that they are the _real _monsters.**"

'_Traitors..._' Naruto frowned as he paused. '_They give up on everything they have, just for..._' His hands balled up in tension.

'_**Come on, say it... If there's any lesson you need to learn, it's this one...**_' Kyaena waited in silent anxiety.

'_I..._' Naruto's face contorted into a true scowl. '_I... HATE... traitors!_'

* * *

Naruto worked even harder now than before. Obviously, slightly more emphasis was placed on his weapon practice, since it was the most behind, due to his lack of proper equipment for so long. But it didn't take any time out of the rest of his training schedule, all it meant was that he worked faster and harder, and got a little less sleep.

The only ones who noticed the slightly greater wear on Naruto were, of course, Teuchi and Ayame. After all, if Naruto was going to keep up the pace on his training, he certainly couldn't afford to slack off on his ramen intake now could he?

Despite his routine being almost the same from day to day compared to what it was, it certainly felt different for Naruto. He was working with real ninja gear. He had the promise of the Hokage that he _would _be entering the academy, even if it was a bit delayed. And now, because of what had happened, he could actually feel the loneliness when he was training out by himself.

Of course he wasn't _actually _alone, since Kyaena was always with him, but there was a certain presence of physicality to consider, or the lack thereof. Before, when he trained, when people were still trying to find him and hurt him, there was the feeling of eyes watching him. The feeling that people were hiding just our of sight, but were there nonetheless. Their hostility made themselves known.

But now that was all gone.

Except for the birds and fuzzy critters, it was often silent. Empty. Sure, Naruto trained in places away from the mass of the village proper, but it was only now that he realized what he had done to himself. Self-isolation. It was a less than pleasant situation for him. In fact, if it wasn't for Kyaena being able to talk to him, coach him, encourage him, and keep him focused, there's no telling what the endless days of silence and repetition might have done to Naruto. In fact, because he was so accustomed to always being hunted and spied on, he even occasionally felt and thought he was still being watched, though since there was no hostility in the air, he could only guess that he was imagining it. Even Kyaena wasn't entirely sure.

Naruto kept pushing himself, and Kyaena kept pushing him as well. It was hard, and painful. But Naruto endured. He had to. Becoming a shinobi had become his purpose in life, and every day was a day closer to that goal. The sad truth was that there wasn't anything else for him. He had dedicated himself to his chosen path, and had already spent so much time to it. If he gave up, there wouldn't be anything else he could do. The only other option would be to leave the village, and that was possibly the worst thought of all as far as Naruto was concerned. How unfortunate he never did though, not realizing that he could have had a far better chance elsewhere, someplace he could have started with a clean slate, where people didn't hate him. But only Arceus knew this, so there's no point in dwelling on it.

So for one last stretch, the one-and-a-half years, Naruto trained. It was like a final sprint. Every last ounce of energy Naruto had, and that's saying a lot, was pushed to the limit. He worked so hard, there were even a few times Kyaena actually had to make him take a day off to avoid over-straining his body. It wasn't the physical injuries she was worried about, since those could be healed almost instantly, but the overall stress Naruto was placing on himself would take it's toll even if he was in otherwise great health.

Month by month passed, and Naruto continued progressing in all his training. Everything physical, mental, and chakral... er, if that's even a word, and weaponal... ok, that was just ridiculous, sorry. But he kept at it anyway. And even though he used all the new ninja equipment, Naruto still had his original first kunai. It was special to him, not only for being his first ninja weapon, but also due to the fact that it was practically a part of him. Because he had used it so much, it had been covered in his own blood so many times that the metal had somehow been stained permanently red. He had promised himself that he would never get rid of it or loose it. It was his personal reminder of his hard, bloodied beginnings.

Eventually, it came down to be only one month before Naruto's entrance to the academy. Kyaena told him he had to stop his usual training, which made Naruto confused, to put it mildly. When he asked why, she told him it would be best to spend the last month pondering how he was going to handle being around the other kids in class at the academy.

Ouch. Talk about a bucket of iced water. Not ice water, _iced_ water. As in, being hit over the head with a solid block of ice, wrapped in metal.

Naruto, who had been nearly desperate to start his ninja schooling, was now so nervous that he couldn't even look in a mirror without scaring himself. He didn't have any idea how to deal with other kids. After all, what could he possibly have in common with them, beyond the desire to become shinobi? Even the few kids he would occasionally encounter at Ichiraku's never really talked to him. Either they were too busy with their own friends, or their parents wouldn't let them talk to the 'trouble maker boy'. Well, at least that was a step up from 'demon brat'. But the point was, Naruto had never done anything except train, eat and sleep.

Naruto tried watching other kids, like at the parks or playgrounds, to try to see how they acted around each other. It was very strange to him. To him, it seemed they just wasted time running around, doing effectively nothing. Oh sure, they would 'play ninja' and such, but it wasn't real training, so it confused Naruto as to the point of it. Kyaena was trying to explain that most of what kids did was for fun, but at a base level, it was also about building bonds between them. To make friends. Obviously, for Naruto, who had been shunned by virtually the entire village for his entire life, this was not a concept easily grasped. Their were only four people he could even say he knew to any degree.

Kyaena, who he couldn't even introduce to anyone.

The Hokage, who was always busy and only ever really spent time with Naruto either during lunch, or when it had to do with official matters.

Teuchi and Ayame. Well, Teuchi would often be busy with most of the cooking while Ayame served the customers. He usually would only make small comments or ask the occasional question from over his shoulder. So that left Ayame.

Naruto found himself spending a lot more time than usual at Ichiraku's, trying to ask Ayame about how to handle the other kids at the academy, without getting her in trouble with her father. But between the fact that she wasn't a kunoichi, the fact that she didn't know why people avoided Naruto like the plague, and how he couldn't keep a conversation going between himself, Ayame and Kyaena without things becoming too confusing, there wasn't much help to be had. All the sweet ramen girl could say was for Naruto just to relax and be himself, and to remember that the other kids would be the ones he would be working alongside after graduation.

So the day finally came. Dressing as best he could, with Kyaena's ever fussy opinions only taking two hours rather than twelve, Naruto had the sense to meet Sarutobi at the tower and walking together to the academy. When they got there, more than a few of the adults and teachers were obviously less than happy that Naruto had shown up. But what could they do? Take ALL their kids out of the academy? That just wouldn't work. Naruto was in, whether they liked it or not.

After the Hokage gave his speech to the new academy entrants, said new students were placed in their class homerooms. When Naruto was seated, he began to take in the surroundings that would be crucial to him for the next year. He was actually surprised to see a few familiar faces. Namely one Choji Akimichi, who was a semi-regular at Ichiraku's, and his occasional companion, Shikamaru Nara. Each seemed to follow the other around. Kyaena found them to be acceptable, and Naruto had to agree. After all, anyone who liked Ichiraku's ramen couldn't be that bad. Right?

One thing that surprised the two of them was the discovery of a Hyuga in the class. From what Naruto had learned over time and what little Kyaena knew about them, he might have thought that all the Hyuga would be privately taught. Being the current greatest bloodline clan, they were just a bit snobbish, though not to the point of _overt _arrogance. But still, there she was. A girl with short midnight-blue hair, and her eyes, the defining Hyuga trait, a very pale lavender, as opposed to the deathly-ghost-pale-white that Naruto had seen in other Hyuga in the past. Kyaena seemed strangely interested in her, and learned her name was Hinata when the teachers ran through the roll-call.

The two teachers for the class were one Iruka Umino, who sported a interesting scar across the bridge of his nose, and one Mizuki Touji, whose hair couldn't make up it's mind whether it wanted to be white or silver, despite the man obviously not being that old. Strange.

Naruto immersed himself in the lessons. He listened to everything, whether it was something he knew already or not. It was what he had been waiting for, and he was determined to do the absolute best he could. Kyaena also paid attention, to be sure that Naruto didn't miss anything, and to add her own opinions on what might most benefit her blonde spirit partner. She would be learning to be a ninja at the same time as Naruto, and she knew that combining their insights would get the most out of every lesson.

For the whole first month, Naruto was on cloud nine, or tail nine as Kyaena liked to jokingly say. Everything Naruto learned in class during the day, he brought home and practiced and memorized in the evening. From the basics of ninja-chakra theory that he would compare to Kyaena's long standing chakra instruction, to repeating through the basic hand-signs over and over until he could do them on reflex with his eyes closed. And of course, he made careful study of how his chakra was channeled and arranged with each hand-sign. The more interesting lessons were the combat strategy scenarios. Kyaena usually got a bit of a laugh at those.

At the end of the first month was the first comprehensive testing day. The day would be a long written test in the morning, then lunch, then the afternoon would be practical skills and weapon training evaluations. With the written test would come a most important question...

* * *

Naruto sat quietly in his seat as he rapidly worked through the written test. Most of them were plainly easy for him, with only a few of the one hundred questions posing even a slight speed bump. Those were ones that were likely thrown in that weren't necessarily covered prior, and were to see if the students could work them out with what they had learned so far. Of course Naruto's and Kyaena's minds crunched through them like crackers. As he turned to the last page, Naruto came to a question that he himself had been wanting to know the answer to for a long time.

Question #100: What happened in the battle between the Yondime Hokage and the Kyuubi no Kitsune?

Naruto sat for a few moments, staring down at his test paper. He tapped his pen a few times. He flipped through his test packet to be sure he hadn't missed any of the other questions. He glanced up at his teachers sitting at their desks. Then he returned to staring at the last question.

'_Well?_' Naruto prompted.

"**Well what? Having one blank answer won't cause you to fail.**" Kyaena answered in a far too nonchalant tone.

'_Kya-chan... You've been promising to tell me what happened for a long time._' Naruto scolded. '_And now the question is staring me in the face._'

"**You can't seriously be planning to write down what actually happened!**" She slapped her tails down sharply. "**They'd lock you away in a cage even worse than mine! Just write down: 'Nobody knows'. I'm sure that's the answer that they're expecting!**" She huffed.

'_Yes, I'm sure it is. And I'll happily write it. But seriously, please, I want to know._' Naruto said as he filled in said last question with said expected answer. '_Or do you want me to always wonder if I was somehow to blame for your current condition?_'

**"NO! No. Alright. I guess there's no more avoiding it. How much time do you have left?**" Kyaena sighed in defeat.

'_Plenty._' Naruto looked up at the clock on the wall as he turned his test over and placed his interlaced hands on it. Didn't want anyone cheating off him, after all.

**"Ok then. Since we can't risk anyone noticing your facial expressions while we talk, come to me and I'll tell you.**" Kyaena instructed.

Naruto closed his eyes...

* * *

Naruto seated himself in the large plush chair in front of the cage. He was getting better and better at controlling the form of the manifestation of the mindscape that represented the seal. Kyaena, in her full kitsune form, enjoyed lying amongst a multitude of giant soft pillows as she smiled in gratitude to her 'warden'. The room was now akin to a great hall of an ancient castle. But the bars of the cage could not be changed, no matter how hard Naruto tried. But all things considered, they were better off than they once were.

"Ok. Lay it on me." Naruto said eagerly.

"**It actually starts a year, maybe a year and a half, before I came to the village. I was at my own den, just minding my own business, when it started. A high-pitch sound, somewhere half between a whistle and a scream.**" Kyaena began."**I didn't really pay it any mind. When it became annoying after a hour or two, I just cast a minor spell to block the sound from penetrating into my den. And at first, that worked.**"

"Heh, magic. Gotta love it." Naruto smirked.

"**Anyway,**"Kyaena chuckled, "**A few days later, the sound returned, even though my spell was still in place. Again, I didn't really think much of it, and I just cast a much stronger spell to block all sound from outside my den. I was shocked when it didn't work, at least not completely. The sound was muffled significantly, but was still there. But since it was so low and faint, I decided I could just put up with it until it went away. I figured whatever was causing it would stop eventually.**" She sighed.

"I take it, it didn't." Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"**Not only did it not stop, but despite my efforts, it began increasing. Getting louder and seemingly more shrill. It's the kind of sound that just drills into your skull. It got so bad, I couldn't even get to sleep.**" Kyaena gave an annoyed huff at the memory.

"Couldn't you just block it some other way? Surely you could just ignore it? Just not listen?" Naruto asked. Kyaena raised an eyebrow.

"**Uh, hello? Ears like these don't miss much.**" She twitched her long ears at him. "**So, after about a month of this, and after I tried all sorts of things to block it without success, I got fed up. I left my den to track down where the sound was coming from, and no, I didn't come to the village. Not yet. Because just an hour after I left my den, the sound finally stopped.**"

"And this is still more than a year before you came to the village?" Naruto prompted clarification.

"**Right. To be honest, I just thought it was coincidental timing, and was glad it was over. So I returned to my den, and for several weeks, it was peaceful. Then the sound returned again, and that time, I immediately bolted out to find the source, but then it stopped just as suddenly.**"Kyaena said as she saw the frown on Naruto's face.

"I'm beginning to see a pattern, and I don't like the picture." Naruto grumbled.

"**Yeah. When it happened a third time, I could tell also. Someone was doing it on purpose.**" She shook her head in disappointment.

"But... Who the hell could be so stupid as to piss off the Queen of Kitsune?" Naruto continued to frown. "Why would someone from the village-"

"**I'm not convinced it was anyone from the village.**" The pondering vixen interrupted. "**I can't be sure of course, but it just wouldn't make any sense. My guess would be some enemy of Konoha that was hoping I'd destroy the village.**" She gave her variant of a shrug. "**But back to it, it was actually a longer stretch of a wait between the third incident, and the fourth and final incident. A number of months. When the sound started that final fourth time, it didn't stop. It was then that I was able to follow it all the way to Konoha. But by that time, I was seriously pissed. I was so angry, and with the sound still piercing my hearing to the point of madness, I wasn't able to think straight. I wanted the sound stopped, and whoever was doing it, killed. I intended to simply crush everything in my path until I found it.**"

"So, if the Yondaime hadn't stopped you... you really would've destroyed Konoha?" Naruto asked with a sadness to his voice. Kyaena lowered her head in shame.

"**Unfortunately yes, but don't get ahead of me. On the way through the forest, I ran across, and ran over, a few people. Travelers and a few ninja that were moving through the area... I guess they were on patrol, or on missions... but they... they were just nuisances to me. I just blew by them without care...**" Kyaena paused for a few moments with a unhappy frown, getting caught up in her memories. Naruto decided to stay quiet, not wanting to upset her and potentially loose the rest of the story, but he could almost swear he saw a shadow of guilt pass across her face over something... specific. She finally refocused her eyes on him. "**So, I guess some patrol got word to the village, though it would have been pointless since I was far from inconspicuous. As I approached the outer border of Konoha, that's when the first mass of ninja came out to confront me.**"

"Did they hurt you badly?" Naruto instantly asked in regret at the thought of his one true friend being attacked by the people of his own village. But she just raised a surprised look at him.

"**Are you kidding? They couldn't even touch me. Remember, the reason I'm the Queen of Kitsune is because I'm not just a demon, I'm a para-elemental demon of fire. Their weapons melted before they ever got near my body, and my every breath and wave of my tails were as powerful as the eruptions of volcanoes. The whole of Konoha would've become a crater of ash and melted rock, except...**" She paused again.

"The Yondaime." Naruto said simply.

"**Yes. No. Yes. Well, it's complicated. As I approached the wall of Konoha, I was shocked when an old friend of mine suddenly appeared.**" Kyaena shifted amongst her pillows to get more comfortable.

"A friend of yours?" Naruto's eyebrows threatened to leave his face.

"**Yep. A huge poof of smoke, and who should jump out from behind the wall but the Old Horny Toad.**" She snickered.

"Um... Right." Naruto sweat-dropped. "And 'Old Horny Toad' would be your adorable nickname for..." He waved for her to continue.

"**Gammabunta. The chief of the demon toads that are allied with Konoha.**" She waited for Naruto to nod in understanding before continuing. "**Anyway, seeing him was enough of a shock that I was able to regain a little of my senses. I started to make my way over to ask him what the hell was going on, but by the time I noticed there was a person on top of his head, it was too late. There was a colossal burst of light, then the next thing I knew, I was staring down the gullet of a seemingly irate Shinigami.**" As she said this, she couldn't help but smirk in amusement at the ghastly face Naruto made.

"Hold it! Shinigami!? THE Shinigami!? THE GOD OF DEATH, Shinigami!? THE SPECTRAL REAPER OF DAMNED SOULS, Shinigami!? The guy who, when he says _**die **_people drop like _**flies**_, Shinigami!?" Naruto grabbed at his chest as he gasped for breath at the terrifying thought.

"**The same. I have no idea how the Yondaime managed to call on him, but needless to say, when I realized who it was I was looking at, I went from boiling mad to scared shitless in half a heartbeat.**" Kyaena sighed. "**That's a lesson everyone has to learn sooner or later. There's always someone stronger in the world.**"

"Wait, you're saying that nobody tried to talk to you? They didn't even try to understand why you were there? They just attacked you?" Naruto asked in shamed confusion. Kyaena leaned forward as she purred gently.

"**Naru-kun, stop feeling so guilty. None of what happened was your fault. And in hindsight, the reaction of the village was understandable as well, since I wasn't in a very talkative mood myself. I mean, come on, if you had a giant, pissed-off demon charging at you, wouldn't you be a bit freaked out too?**" She chuckled, but stopped when she saw the strange look he was giving her.

"No." He said, gazing at her meaningfully. "No, I wouldn't." Kyaena blinked at him a few times, and when the implication of what Naruto meant hit her, her purring jumped in intensity. "So, um... You were saying about Shinigami?" Naruto scratched the back of his head in mild embarrassment.

"**Um, yeah. Look Naru-kun, I would never belittle what you've had to endure in your life so far, but there just isn't any way to describe... when Shinigami reached into me and took hold of my soul... the pain of having your very essence ripped apart...**" The giant fox gave an unpleasant shudder.

"Skip ahead." Naruto said in understanding.

"**Well, I blacked out. And when I next became aware, I had somehow been sealed inside you.**" She shook her head. "**It had to be the strangest sensation I'd ever felt, finding myself suddenly seeing the world from inside a tiny human baby. It actually took me quite a while just to-**"

"Who're you calling 'tiny'?" Naruto grumphed as he crossed his arms, causing Kyaena to burst into giggles.

"**Well, sorry, but that's just the way things seemed to me at the time!**" She snickered as she wiped a tail over her eye. "**Anyway, from there on, the rest is pretty obvious. I spent all my time trying to learn about you, and understanding how I was connected to your body, especially in regards to your chakra system. Over time I became able to speak to you in short bursts, until that fateful day when I finally was able to connect our minds fully. The day you first saw this cage.**" Kyaena glanced at the bars.

"So, that's it, huh." Naruto leaned back in his chair as he thought over everything. "Wow. That's some intense stuff. But, isn't there a fairly big gap of missing information here?" He frowned.

"**Unfortunately yes. Things happened so fast when I reached Konoha, that I never found out what, or who, had caused the whole mess. And after I was sealed into you, it became impossible for me to do any investigating.**"Kyaena shrugged, lying her head into a pillow.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier? I'd gladly look into things for you. If I just asked Old-Man-Hokage-" Naruto offered.

"**You KNOW that's not an option!**" She scolded harshly. "**I didn't exactly make a good impression on everyone! To them, I'm a raging, uncontrollable, bloodthirsty demon. If they found out I've had any influence on you at all, the Hokage would probably loose whatever ability he has left in protecting you!**" She snapped. But when she saw his downcast face, she added, "**But I appreciate your thoughtfulness.**" She purred again. Naruto smiled, then sighed.

"So, you don't know who was tormenting you, you don't know why it was originating from Konoha, you didn't get a chance to talk to Gammabunta-sama, you don't know how the Yondaime-... Wait a minute." Naruto sat upright. "Something doesn't add up." Naruto began counting on his fingers. "You were drawn to the village in self defense out of pain."

"**Right.**" The fox nodded.

"The village didn't know this, and just thought you were rampaging because you're a demon." Naruto held out a second finger.

"**Right again.**"Kyaena smirked, knowing where he was going already.

"So they sought their own self defense, which is why the Yondaime came out to fight you." Naruto held out a third finger. "He was attempting to save the village, and intended to make sure you couldn't be a threat anymore. But, if the Yondaime had somehow managed to make a pact to get Shinigami to appear in that battle, then-"

"**-I should be dead. Bingo.**" Kyaena nodded in approval of her friend's reasoning. "**That's the one major thing I've never been able to figure out these past years. I may be extremely powerful even when compared to many of the other demons in the world, but in the shadow of Shinigami, I'm about as threatening as... well, as a rabbit in a den of foxes.**" She chuckled at her own little joke.

"So then how... why...?" Naruto questioned.

"**Maybe because it was a ninja technique that called him rather than a magic ritual, Shinigami limited how much aid he would give to a mortal. Maybe the Yondaime didn't know he could've killed me, and settled for what he thought was the next best thing. Maybe the Yondaime thought he could endow a member of his village with my power for the future protection of the village. Or maybe,**" She smirked as she fluffed her fur a bit, "**The two of them just couldn't bring themselves to kill such an exotic beauty like myself.**" When Naruto looked up at her with a raised eyebrow, she sweat-dropped. "**Well it's possible...**"She mumbled in embarrassment.

"That's an awful lot of 'maybes'." Naruto shook his head. They both sat in silence for a few minutes.

"**Sorry, Naru-kun. I guess I haven't really made you feel any better about all this.**"Kyaena sighed at length.

"No, it's ok Kya-chan. But I guess we'll never really know the whole story. I mean, the only ones to know exactly what happened would be Arceus and Shinigami, but they're a bit out of our reach. The Yondaime might have had some knowledge, but him being dead also removes him from the option list." Naruto tilted his head slightly. "What about Gammabunta-sama?" Naruto looked up at Kyaena who gave it a bit of thought.

"**Well, you'd have to find a way to contact him, and that alone is not going to be easy. Plus there's the fact that considering when he appeared in the whole mix-up, he might know even less than the Yondaime did.**" She looked down at Naruto with a smile. "**But at least it's possible. We'll have to remember to look into it eventually. If we can ever manage to catch any of the demon summons running around the village. But that's kind of hard when they keep returning to our world out of fear of me.**" Kyaena flipped her tails flippiantly. **"Don't worry we'll catch one of them someday, and then send a message back to my people so we can figure a way out of this mess we're in."**

"Absolutely!" Naruto smiled back.

**(NARUTO... ...NARUTO... ...)**

The blonde jumped out of his chair in surprise at the voice that echoed into the room from far off.

"**Go!**" Kyaena blurted.

"Oh crap!" Naruto grunted as he vanished from sight...

* * *

Naruto's eyes snapped open to see a slightly annoyed Mizuki standing in front of him, and many of the other students were staring at him with snickering whispers.

"Ah! Yes! Yes, Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto stammered.

"The time limit is up." Mizuki frowned, tugging at the paper that was anchored under Naruto's hands. "Let go of your test paper."

"Oh, right! Sorry!" Naruto chuckled awkwardly as he handed his test over. "I was just going over some of my answers in my head, and I guess I lost track of the time." He shrugged.

Mizuki rolled his eyes and continued through the aisle of students until all the papers had been piled up on the teachers' desks.

"Ok everyone, remember, after lunch, gather in the training field outside for the practical skills and weapon evaluations." Iruka addressed the class. Naruto put up his hand.

"Uh, Iruka-sensei, I was wondering, wouldn't it have been better to have the practical evaluations before lunch, _then _the written test?" He asked, as some of the students looked on curiously. "I mean, won't we be risking cramps, or worse, vomiting, if we're exerting ourselves right after eating?" Naruto's eyes widened in realization, even as the other students' eyes widened in surprise. "Or is that also part of the test? To see who'll be able to keep themselves composed in a potentially disorienting situation?" Naruto asked intently.

Iruka and Mizuki exchanged surprised looks as the students were now whispering to each other. The ones who had been confident were now worried, and the ones that had already been worried were now looking half-panicked. The teachers were a little annoyed. Of _course _the lunch factor was intended to be part of the test, but the students weren't supposed to realize that.

"Well, if you're concerned about that, you could just not eat your lunch." Iruka said, trying to avoid the question while sounding casual.

"But that's not good either!" Naruto frowned. "Being too hungry would affect our performance as well!"

Iruka and Mizuki had to restrain themselves from cursing out the blond boy.

"Well, it's a little late to worry about it now, and besides, when on missions, you often don't get to be picky about when you eat." Iruka scolded.

"Yeah, I guess that's true." Naruto tilted his head in acceptance.

"If we can't eat, but we can't not eat, what are we supposed to do?" Asked the girl on Naruto's left. He looked at her in surprise for a moment before answering.

"Well, if you normally have a large lunch, I'd say eat roughly half of it, and try not to drink too much liquid. That way, your food can't slosh around in your stomach, making you queasy." Naruto said plainly, having experienced the situation a number of times himself. But even though his reasoning made the other students nod in understanding, the way he had said it was enough to make a few of the weaker-constitutioned ones already a little green.

"That's enough, Naruto!" Iruka shouted. "Class dismissed for lunch!"

Everyone filed out, and Naruto saw the annoyed looks still on his teachers' faces.

"**I think you ticked them off.**" Kyaena commented in an amused tone.

'_I wasn't trying to._' Naruto thought back innocently as he headed to the lunch room, thinking that the practical test would be as easy as the written test had been.

* * *

After a slightly disappointing lunch where Naruto had once again found himself sitting alone, despite another failed attempt to befriend the magically dissapearing Hinata, Naruto went to the practice field, eager to finally see how much his own training had paid off when compared to real ninja evaluations. And both he and Kyaena were shocked at how almost impossibly hard it was.

When Naruto's turn came at shuriken and kunai accuracy, he couldn't believe how dull the edges were on the ones he was given to use. Sure, he expected certain measures to be taken for student safety, but they were practically blunt it was so ridiculous. The weapons wouldn't stick in the targets or trees he was to throw them at, instead just bouncing off. And when he threw them harder to try to compensate, they would either ricochet badly, or just smash the targets. And after one kunai ripped clear through the center of a circular target and nearly hit another student, Naruto was viciously yelled at for his carelessness and immediately pulled from the thrown weapon test, with no notice given to the fact that his throws had been, or would have been, bulls-eyes. Naruto stood to the side as he watched the other students take their turns, and frowned when he couldn't help but notice how much easier a time they were having, even the worst of them. It seemed they were using much sharper weapons than Naruto had used.

When Naruto's turn came to demonstrate his knowledge of basic taijutsu on a practice dummy, he knew his style wouldn't be as refined or 'by the book' as the others, but he was at least confident in his basics of strength, speed, and accuracy. He knew that five years of constant work couldn't possibly be for nothing. He was again shocked when he had only been striking the dummy for barely five seconds when he was berated for poor form, and how his moves were overly direct and easily readable. Kyaena, getting irritated at how unduly critical the teachers seemed to be being, and smelling something fishy, gave Naruto permission to demonstrate his ace in the hole. Everyone watched as Naruto charged the dummy, and with a single punch, blew right through it in a burst of stuffing and wood splinters. His fellow students were obviously amazed, but the teachers just forbade Naruto from using the technique again, as well as telling him he wouldn't be allowed to partake in the sparring evaluation for fear of him hurting the other students.

Naruto and Kyaena were getting pissed. The whole afternoon progressed in the same pattern. Anything Naruto tried to do, he was immediately criticized, berated or penalized for, as Iruka and Mizuki seemed determined to find fault in everything. Several tests, like the sparring, Naruto wasn't even allowed to participate in. But rather that being given a stand-in equivalency test to compensate, he was just given a failing grade. By the end of the academy day, Naruto had obviously failed the practical exam with the worst grades in the class. Naruto tried to talk to Iruka afterwards to ask for another chance, or at the least, be given stand-in tests for the ones he hadn't been allowed to take. Even Naruto knew it was completely unfair to fail someone on a test he didn't even take. But Iruka refused, scolding Naruto for both his 'recklessness' in the exam, and his attitude in thinking he deserved more chances than the other students. Oh boy. Kyaena was hissing mad at that comment.

Things only got worse the next day when the written tests were returned after grading. Naruto had failed that as well, only getting one right answer out of the hundred, and the one that was marked as correct was #100. But all the other answers were marked as wrong. Answers that Naruto and Kyaena knew he hadn't put down. They were all different. They weren't what Naruto had written, and they both knew it. But when Naruto loudly protested that the test he had been tested on was in fact not the test that he had tested, it was a test to Iruka and Mizuki's patience, making them a bit testy. Mizuki had the nerve to say that since Naruto finished the written test so much faster than almost everyone else, he must have 'carelessly rushed', and therefore the mistakes were Naruto's own fault. Kyaena would have torn the academy apart if given the chance.

It was only the start for what would become the most aggravating time of Naruto's life.

He was never called on in class, even if he was the only one who knew the answer. Whenever he tried to just say it out loud, he was always yelled at for disrupting class. Every written test came back marked as failed, and always with his answers having been changed, a few times not even in Naruto's handwriting. The one time Naruto deliberately put down wrong answers, the test came back exactly intact. Now convinced beyond doubt that someone was doing it to him on purpose, Naruto tried to tell someone. Anyone. He tried to tell Iruka and Mizuki, who wouldn't believe him and told him to stop trying to beg for special treatment. He told Teuchi and Ayame, who couldn't do anything about it even though they did believe him. He tried to tell Sarutobi, even going as far as having the old man quiz him there in his office. That at least got a bit of results, as the Hokage then accompanied Naruto to a day of class. But somehow, when Naruto finished another test, even as he sat right there and watched Mizuki hand his test directly to Sarutobi, the master shinobi expressed his disappointment in Naruto's poor performance. After that, the Hokage wouldn't bother taking any more time out of his busy schedule.

Naruto was left to deal with the matter himself. Month after month, Naruto worked his absolute hardest, but was never given the right chances, never given the benefit of the doubt, and usually wasn't even allowed to participate in most of the practical skills evaluations. But it didn't stop him from working on everything on his own time. Even when the other students went home, or were out playing with friends, Naruto was either in his apartment, studying, or at a training field, practicing (when he wasn't at Ichiraku's, of course). And this was especially true when the first of the basic academy jutsu were taught. Naruto picked them all up easily, and set about to mastering their use in a multitude of situations. The most important of which was the use of the Transformation Jutsu, that finally allowed Naruto access to the village library, among other places of informational import.

Surprisingly, in the course of all of this, he discovered there _was _one thing he wasn't half good at. Genjutsu. He discovered that canceling them was very easy for him, due to the magnitude of his chakra level, as well as Kyaena being able to send pulses of demonic chakra through him to break anything he couldn't. When Naruto tried _performing _genjutsu however, they would either not work at all, or were so pathetically weak or unstable that they couldn't be effective. This was the problem he had with the Clone Jutsu. Even though his form and chakra control were more than good enough, there was something that just wouldn't click in his mind when he tried. And of course, his teachers were no help, because the Clone Jutsu was officially categorized as a ninjutsu, not a genjutsu. This, combined with the fact that the Transformation Jutsu (which Naruto found quite easy) was categorized as a genjutsu, not a ninjutsu, made Naruto's claim that he was no good at genjutsu seem like a blatant lie. Naruto did not like that at all. Still, as far as Naruto and Kyaena were concerned, having discovered only a single weakness so far in Naruto's skills, and half a weakness at that, wasn't too bad.

When the academy year came to its end, Naruto was looking forward to the graduation exam. He was certain that whoever had been screwing him over couldn't possibly mess up the exam, as it constituted primarily of practical evaluation, and unlike the rest of the year, he would _have _to be allowed to complete the entirety of it if he chose to take it. Which was something Naruto found a bit unusual. Instead of the entire class having to take the exam, it was by individual choice of the students. But that didn't really matter to Naruto. The exam came. He took it. And with the Clone Jutsu being his _only _problem...

He still failed.

Naruto was as burning mad as Kyaena. He nearly strangled Iruka when he was told that all graduates had to be able to perform the 'basic three jutsu', as they were traditionally called. And since Naruto couldn't do an effective Clone Jutsu, he failed. Naruto was so upset at that, he spent several days abusing one of the outer fields of the village that he occasionally trained at. But regardless, he fully intended to keep trying, despite multiple efforts of the academy instructors to get Naruto to drop out and give up. Naruto kept his name registered for the next academy year, and because his attendance had originally been personally ordered by the Hokage, no one could stop him.

With the start of Naruto's second year at the academy, he noticed something slightly different. Because of those that had graduated before, considering those that hadn't yet, homeroom classes were rearranged slightly to compensate. As such, Naruto saw a few new faces in the class to replace the absent. Amongst whom were one Kiba Inuzuka (and his dog partner Akamaru), who was a bit loud and brash, but otherwise a seemingly nice guy, and one Shino Aburame who... well, he just creped everyone out.

In the course of the second year, it was actually Kiba's presence that would change things for Naruto, who was having as miserable a time as the first year. First of all, as Naruto and Kyaena learned about some of the talents of the Inuzuka clan, Kyaena suggested attempting some similar methods in Naruto's training in using enhanced senses akin to that of animals. While normally attempting to just jump into such a thing would be next to impossible without having an innate ability for it like the Inuzuka clan, Naruto did have some success, mostly centered in hearing and smell. Kyaena theorized that it was her presence that allowed him to do so, especially with how thoroughly they were connected in both spirit and energy. One strange side effect of this sensory training was that Naruto's whiskers began to tingle on occasion at seemingly random moments. Kyaena didn't have any explanation for it at the time.

The second thing that Kiba's presence introduced to Naruto was... pranks. Oh yes. It was truly an interesting discovery for Naruto. Not to say that there hadn't been pranks being performed by students the previous year, it was just that Naruto had been more focused on trying to learn rather than pay attention to what other students did in their own free time. This was offset by the fact that Kiba's pranks occasionally happened in class instead of during lunch or whenever, making it impossible for Naruto not to notice. What caught Naruto's interest was that the concept of the prank, despite the possibility of some hurt feelings on the part of the prankee, was that one sets up a situation to catch another off-guard, and not get caught in the process. In other words, it was a demonstration of skill. Something Naruto was desperate to prove to those responsible for deciding his fate as a shinobi. So, since he was being blocked from showing his skills in the text-book manner, Naruto turned to pranks to get his abilities out in the open, intending to finally be recognized for his good hard work.

Unfortunately, the road to detention is paved with good intentions.

Naruto didn't bother with anything small. He wanted big recognition, and that meant big pranks. And so in the middle of his second year at the academy, the village witnessed the beginning of a truly bizarre time in it's history. And it was marked on that day, when people awoke to find the great gates of Konoha glued shut with a mixture of rubber cement, stone plaster and... mint bubble gum. How Naruto got that much gum and pre-chewed it in one night is a mystery that remains unsolved to this day.

Naruto's pranks were big. They were complex. They were even quite imaginative. And the best part of all, no one ever got hurt. Except Naruto that is. He had failed to take into account that if you prank one person, that one person might get mad. If you prank half the village, half the village might get mad. So for the first time in a while, Naruto found himself spending some of his afternoons running away from angry villagers. But it wasn't any big deal since they could neither catch nor hurt him, and Naruto quickly found himself enjoying the opportunities to give a bit of payback to those who had mistreated him for so long. As long as it wasn't anything dangerous, despite some of Kyaena's opinions. But she couldn't deny that she had fun too.

His new hobby not withstanding, Naruto still tried his hardest in the academy. But at least he wasn't _quite _as stressed over the constant unfairness and neglect anymore. Not since Iruka and Mizuki had to constantly watch where they sat. And speaking of, Iruka actually began taking interest in Naruto's pranks, though he didn't outright say it. And for some strange reason, he took it upon himself to try to round up Naruto _after _most of the pranks were completed. Since Naruto was looking for attention, he didn't put up too much of a fight whenever Iruka 'caught' him. It seemed to develop into a patern of sorts. Though the bigger picture behind that pattern was still a little fuzzy.

For the last _two _months of his second year of the academy, Naruto dropped most of his training to focus specifically on attempting to correct his slight problem with genjutsu. He practiced the Clone Jutsu every day and night. But he just couldn't get it to work. No matter how precise his chakra control, no matter how exact his hand-signs, no matter how hard he tried to focus on the seemingly simple matter of projecting the basic image illusion of himself, the best he could do was some kind of pale, pathetic, half-dead and knocked-out barely-there phantom. Naruto wasn't happy, but strangely, Kyaena wasn't as upset. She told him that as long as his ability to cancel genjutsu was as strong as possible, they would never really have to worry. She even went so far as to suggest the possibility that it was in fact because of his almost natural ability to cancel genjutsu, that it was inherently trying to cancel his own as well. It wasn't a theory that could be proved very easily, but it gave them an idea for how Naruto might be able to pass the graduation exam a different way. But the exam wouldn't be the only thing different this year.

Just a week before the end of Naruto's second year and the graduation exam, Naruto was returning from his hiding in the forest, as was his custom to do during the three day festival surrounding his birthday, to discover a small wrapped package sitting outside his apartment door. I'll forgo the description of the hour long process Naruto took to make sure it wasn't a bomb, or trapped or anything. When he opened it, he found inside a new pair of protective goggles and a small card note. The note read:

Protecting your eyes to see through the lies is only one-half of the game.  
Work through it all, don't stop if you fall, and you'll never have cause to feel shame.  
Happy Birthday Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto was more shocked than he had ever been in his life. Someone had actually given him a birthday present! After eleven years, after thousands of beatings, after hundreds of murder attempts, after having to bear the burden of every hateful glare of the villagers... Someone had actually acknowledged the good of his very existence, for his birthday no less! Naruto would have given up ramen for life if he could have just known who had done this special thing for him. But there was no evidence of any kind. He spent the day examining the box, the goggles, the note, even the floor of his front balcony, but there was nothing. The lack of evidence gave rise to a fear that it was just some kind of prank being pulled on _him_, but Naruto refused to care. Even if the whole village laughed at him, he walked out his door the next morning wearing those goggles, and would wear them every day after throughout his time at the academy. And as he had once done for his first kunai, Naruto vowed that he would never loose or get rid of his goggles... his first present... ever.

When the graduation exam came up a few days later, Naruto took it again. But when he was told to perform the Clone Jutsu, he requested that he be tested on his ability to cancel genjutsu instead. That they throw whatever they could at him, and rank him on how far he could keep going. But they refused, again bringing up the ridiculous fact that the Clone Jutsu was categorized as a ninjutsu. Naruto screamed that anything that created a non-solid, non-real image that didn't do anything except fool the eyes had to be a genjutsu. But they ignored him, and failed him _again_...

* * *

"**Those idiots are REALLY trying my nerves!**" Kyaena hissed as Naruto slowly let himself into his apartment. He was fairly scuffed up, and was covered in a thin dusting of dry dirt.

Like after his failure the previous year, Naruto had been quite upset and had gone to one of the outer fields of the village to safely vent some built-up aggravation. He had made sure no one was around, then had proceeded to physically beat on the ground, rocks and trees until he was sore enough to consider stopping. He had slunk back to his apartment feeling somewhat depressed.

'_There's not really anything we can do about it._' Naruto sighed to himself as he locked his door, then went to the bath to change out of his dirty cloths. '_If they never give me a chance, I'll never be able to prove myself. All I can do is keep trying until they realize they're the ones that are screwing up._' He threw his cloths into a basket, then turned on the shower.

"**You're the best in the entire class! They're being so stupid by denying you!**" Kyaena fumed. "**I'd even bet you could beat the stuffing out of that bastarf Mizuki if the chance came up!**"

'_Why do you always rant about Mizuki-sensei? He's not doing anything that Iruka-sensei isn't._' Naruto frowned as the water was rinsing the dirt from his face.

"**All I know is the more time goes by, the more I hate him! You know I've disliked him from the start!**" She growled.

'_But it's Iruka-sensei that's been giving me more hassle lately! He keeps punishing me for my pranks, even if they're no where near the academy, or regardless of who I pull them on!_' Naruto scrubbed at a stubborn grass stain on his knee. '_And he's gotten a little too good at catching me after my pranks. Almost as if he's had some experience himself..._'

"**Maybe.**" Kyaena smirked a little. "**But what I find interesting is that he catches you _after _you've completed your pranks.**" She waited a moment for Naruto to think. "**Could it be, just perhaps, Iruka is trying to give you a chance to prove yourself? He might not be able to, or willing to, in the classroom, but I think there's hope for him.**"

'_Are we talking kitsune instinct again?_' Naruto couldn't help the smile and slight shake of his head, partly in amusement, partly to get some water out of his ear.

"**I'm serious. It's happening much too slow for my liking, but I think it is happening. I think you're slowly getting through to Iruka.**" She said.

'_Peh. I think he just likes yelling at me. He yells at the class in general, but he doesn't yell at anyone else in the specific way like he does with me._' Naruto finally got the worst of the dirt rinsed away and started washing in proper with the soap.

"**Different people show their feelings in different ways. Or, conversely, even if two people act the same way, they are still different people, and so the action means something different from person to person.**" Kyaena said in a very soft, almost tantalizing voice. Naruto paused in his washing as he blinked.

'_Where did that come from?_' He asked in confusion, both at what she said, and the tone in which she had said it.

"**Just always remember, sometimes people can be confusing, and sometimes they can be completely clear.**" She sighed slowly. "**Sorry. You know that things like that drift up from time to time.**" She purred slightly. "**So, it seems you're feeling better.**"

'_Well, I'm back to feeling as I usually do. I don't know if it's 'better' or not._' Naruto finished washing as he rinsed off a last time. He shut off the shower and dried off. Putting on his favorite pajamas, he got himself a cup of fruit juice before getting into bed.

"**So what do you think the plan for your third year should include?**" Kyaena asked in mild contentment as she curled up.

'_I'm not sure if there will be that much new material for me to pick up on. To be honest, the classes are too easy that they're boring._' Naruto thought dully as he tried to calm his mind enough to sleep.

"**So, I guess that means you'll have more time for pranks?**" Kyaena giggled, but Naruto was silent. "**Naru-kun...**"

'_I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I can't help it._' Naruto cringed. '_I just keep wondering. Always wondering about what it would be like to have a different life. If something was different. If anything was different._'

"**Like what?**" Kyaena sighed. They often had these kinds of conversations after a frustrating time. Naruto wondering about lives he'd never have.

'_...Well... what do you think my life would be like... if... if..._' Naruto hated feeling uncertain. He knew that even Kyaena didn't always have all the answers, but at least she was confident and decisive. He often wished to be more like her. ... Like _her_. ... Hmm...

"**N-Naru-kun?**" Kyaena stuttered as her eyes widened at his line of thought.

'_What do you think my life would have been like if I had been born a girl?_' Naruto asked with nervous curiosity.

It took several minutes for Kyaena to carefully consider her response. After getting over her shock, that is.

"**Well, for one, you'd have the problem of dealing with all the perverts in the world.**" She said slowly. Naruto started slightly, not having expected that.

'_What are you talking about?_' Naruto asked in confusion. '_Why would perverts come after me?_'

"**Simple. Perverts go after the most beautiful girls and women, regardless of who they are. And it's obvious to me that you would have been a very beautiful girl.**" Kyaena said with a hint of approval, but Naruto misunderstand the meaning of it.

'_You mean unlike the scruffy runt I am as a boy?_' He snorted. Kyaena giggled a bit.

"**No, I mean that men are just more obvious in showing their interest. You're in great health now, and boy or girl, you'll have the others interested in you eventually, without a doubt.**" She said with a knowing smirk.

'_...Well, what do you think I'd have looked like? I mean, what's it like being a girl?_' Naruto asked after a moment of consideration. Kyaena was about to reply, but stopped when she got a idea. A very, VERY interesting idea.

"**Why bother asking, when you can just find out for yourself?**" She said with far too much amusement in her voice.

'_Er... What are you talking about?_' Naruto asked nervously, but Kyaena kept silent to let him figure it out. It took him a few minutes. '_AH! The Transformation Jutsu!_' He realized.

"**Exactly! If you want to know what it's like to be a girl, just become one! And although it might take a bit of work, you should even be able to get it so that you can transform into yourself as a girl.**" Kyaena was a more intrigued in the idea than she was letting on. '**_This could be incredible. I can't imagine any other boy willingly wanting to understand girls from a girl's perspective. If he does this right, when he gets older, he'll have more females coming after him than he'll know what to do with!_' **She giggled.

'_Eh? What's so funny?_' Naruto asked suspiciously.

"**Um, nothing. Anyway, you can start on this project tomorrow, although if you want to avoid insults and ridicule, I suggest you do it in private, and not tell anyone about it. Make it your own project.**" Kyaena suggested.

'_I already have a project! Fixing my genjutsu skills so I can pass the stupid graduation exam!_' Naruto argued, tossing a bit in his bed.

"**Genjutsu isn't the be-all end-all of a ninja. You know how to cancel it, be satisfied with that. And don't forget, just because the idiots that run the academy say you're not good enough doesn't make it true in the slightest!**" Kyaena took a breath, to try to bring up a topic that never ran well. "**Experience is experience! You're getting stronger and better all the time!**" She took another breath and dove in. "**There is no law against civilians traveling. If you just tell the Hokage you want to visit some other lands, then just find an opportunity to ditch your escort-**"

'_NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!_' Naruto bolted upright, fists clenched. '_I can't! It won't work! This is my home! This is where I have to prove myself!_' He was shaking from tension. '_I can travel once I've proved myself and become a ninja!_'

"**Of course they'll let you travel once your a ninja! Because once you're a ninja, even if just a genin, they'll have you on a leash! If you're ever going to leave the village, it has to be now! Because the instant you're a ninja, if you so much as set foot outside the wall without permission, they'll declare you rouge and order you executed on the spot!**" Kyaena argued. The same argument, every time. They always run in circles.

'_That's not going to happen! I'll never betray the village! The old man knows that!_' Naruto flopped back down.

"**Naru-kun, no one outside the village could possibly know about me! If you can just get to another village and ask to stay, then these temes won't be able to do anything without blowing the secret to all the shinobi nations! Not unless they want to tarnish their so called 'good names'! Please Naru-kun! This might be your last chance!**" Kyaena pleaded.

'_My parents died here. I know you didn't mean it, it wasn't your fault. But this is my HOME. If I can't live here, I'll never be able to live anywhere else. I'd always remember this place, and I'd always feel like a failure if I had to run away._' Naruto pulled his blanket over himself. '_I haven't made it this far just to take the easy way out! The cowards way out! Only the weakest and most heartless person would throw away their true self just for some easy fix to a problem!_' He cringed down from the unpleasant thoughts. Knowing that once again she would be unable to push the issue without seriously upsetting him, all Kyaena could do was start purring to calm him down so he could sleep.

"**Have I told you lately how proud of you I am? How courageous and honorable you are?**" She cooed and purred as Naruto relaxed. "**How your dedication and enduring spirit are remarkable to behold?**" She felt him relaxing more as he readjusted his blanket. "**How your pranks are creative and memorable?**" She smirked as Naruto chuckled a bit. "**How you would make the most adorable little golden kit?**" She snickered.

'_Hey..._' Naruto chided slightly. He sighed as he rolled over. '_How is it you're always able to calm me do so easily?_'

"**One of the talents of being female.**" She giggled a little more. "**Once we've worked out the Transformation Jutsu specifics, you'll be able to try it yourself.**"

'_You know..._' Naruto smirked as his eyes finally closed. '_There could potentially be other uses for that technique..._' Kyaena suddenly balked at the images in his imagination.

'_**Uh oh. I think I might have oopsed.**_' She sweat-dropped to herself.

* * *

A short time later, at the beginning of Naruto's third year at the academy, he once again found a few new faces that had been transferred into his class homeroom. He didn't know that he would be changed from that moment on, when he met those new class mates.

Ino Yamanaka.

...

Sasuke Uchiha.

...

...

Sakura Haruno.

...

...

...

Naruto's life just got a whole lot more complicated.

* * *

END OF PROLOUGE

* * *

Authors notes:

I know it's long. But I couldn't cut it up. It's a prologue, and prologues by definition are only one chapter, even though they're not technically a chapter. And for the length matter, come on, I had to put seven years worth of important events into this. Why seven years and not twelve? Because it starts when Naruto is four, and ends just as he turned eleven after the end of his second year of academy and the beginning of the third.

For those of you who say that Itachi wasn't old enough to have kept watch over a young Naruto, well, it's obvious that Itachi will be a bit older in my fic. But it doesn't have any effect on events. Just a convenience.

Yes, this is a helpful femKyuubi fic. If you don't like it, feel free to look elsewhere for stories you prefer. But I hope you'll give my story a chance with thoughtful consideration. I'm hoping to make this story interesting enough to keep your interests.

I tried to make Kyaena more of an actual character, rather than just some formless voice in Naruto's head. Note the descriptions of her actions and manerisms. But the tricky part is to remember that, one, only Nartuto can hear her voice. Two, while awake normally, Naruto can NOT see her inside himself. He can only 'see' her when he enters the mindscape of the seal. Also, note that while awake normally, Naruto '_thinks_' his talk to Kyaena, but scenes inside the sealscape, he "talks" to her. I understand that this might be a bit difficult to visualize in a written story, but if you can imagine, if this style were aplied to anime, every scene that includes Naruto would have a 'picture in picture' that has Kyaena in a corner of the screen that would allow the viewers to see her reactions and speech. I thought it would be interesting to try to do it this way.

One more thing about the Naruto-Kyuubi seal connection. As I mentioned (once) in this prolouge, Kyaena experiances the world through Naruto's senses. So she can see through his eyes, hear through his ears, etc. Also, she can look through his memories and imagination at will, and hears his every thought. However, Naruto can only hear what she "**talks**". He can NOT hear her '**_thoughts_'. **How frustrating for him to have a girl in his head, and _still _doesn't know what girls think about. I'm a real meannie, aren't I?

I dropped a number of foreshadowing hints in this prologue, so feel free to re-read it as may times as you like to see if you can pick out all the various little things that you think might be more than they seem. But I warn you now, some of the things won't be covered till much later in the fic. You might find yourself coming back to this prologue to re-check things you read later.

I deliberately noted in the story that Kyaena is NOT the lord (or in this case, lady) of all demons, or the lord(lady) of hell, or any crap like that. I made her a HER, and made her Queen of the Kitsune (Fox Demon Clan). The bijuu are not the only demons in the world, they are simply the more/most powerful of their individual clans, and are the most widely known about to humans. I suppose I might have had the Inuyasha world in mind in this regard, to the various 'tribes' of demons, as it will make interactions between demons more interesting. I also thought it would be interesting to add the para-elemental factor, to both give Kyaena a more interesting background, as well as it's important for certain things about Naruto that will be covered later.

I hope my interpretation of how certain events lead into one-another is convincing. I was aiming to try to have Naruto turn out to be approximately how he would be by the start of the 'series', but make no mistake, there are going to be differences.

It's possible I'll have to edit this prologue a few times as I progress through the story, so I'll make sure to note if and when I do.

As you saw at the start of this chapter, as well as you'll see at the beginning of other chapters, I've created a simplistic index system.

Chapters are listed as SOTS-(#)-(#)-(#). First is the story number (I've already planned at least four), then the arc number (you know, like the land of waves arc, or the chunin exam arc), then the chapter number _within _the arc. That is to say, arc one has a chapter one, but then arc two begins with its own chapter one. You'll see what I mean. And even though I fully _intend _to give titles to the chapters (though some may not be that imaginative or original), I thought this indexing system would make it easier, both for posting matters, and for anyone who wanted to remember a favorite chapter that they could simply make note of the index numbers. Better than trying to remember some long, obscure title, isn't it?

For the record, I have access to the manga, the original japanime, and the uncut american anime. I compare them as I go along, using some material from one, and other material from another. With that in mind, know that what I write I do with a reason and purpose, including what I change and that of my own that I add. I suspect, however, that I'll be leaning more towards the anime, for the simple reason that it draws out longer than the manga. In other words, I intend to include a lot of the anime fillers in my story, though not all. Most of them happen after the 'Retrieval of Sasuke' arc, so those much are obvious. I'd like, and need, the opportunity to work out character development and event issues. I hope you'll enjoy it.

Jutsu will be in name grammer english (example - Shadow Clone Jutsu), because I haven't been able to find a website that's capable of accurate translation of Japanese _phrases_. Only ones that translate individual words. If someone knows of an accurate phrase/sentence translation site, please message me.

I have a plan on how to write out the chapters, but my method will mean that chapters may be of any size. Some might be longer than this one, and some might be absurdly short. But those short ones will probably only be neccesary due to important events that can't be cut out, but occure between two other events, and can't be included in either successfully. So again, chapters: Any size. Right.

If you're still unsure if you want to bother reading further in this story, then I will give you two last little incentives.

One, Kyaena is not as nice or as stupid as this prologue might lead you to believe.

Two, and this is the one I think you'll find the most intriguing...

...

Naruto is not as SANE as he seems.

* * *

This chapter edited:

5-17-2013


	2. SOTS,1,01,01

(AN: For disclaimer, see my profile, and also, help me with my goal to have it possible for submissions to display colored text!)

* * *

**SOTS-1-01-01**

**Soul of the Seal - Story 1 - Arc 1 - Chapter 1**

**Story 1 - "The Ninja Adventures (Of Team Seven)"**

**Arc 1 - "The Beginnings of a Legend"**

**Chapter 1 - "The Actions of One, the Decisions of Two, the Troubles of Three"**

* * *

It was a bright and sunny day in Konoha on the morning of October fifteenth. The birds were singing in their nests. The clouds were drifting in the sky. The paint was drying on the mountain faces.

It was an unpleasant shock to most of the village when they awoke that morning and stepped outside, or looked out their windows, to see what had happened to the great Hokage mountain. The face of the Shodaime was painted to look like a wooden puppet head. The face of the Nidaime was painted to look like he was crying a pair of giant waterfalls from his eyes, with various fish trying to swim up them. The face of the Sandaime was painted to look like a human scroll, with dozens of kanji like 'study', 'work', and 'train' written over it. And the face of the Yondaime was painted to make him look like... a geisha. Ouch.

While any decent artist would be able to see the skill and difficulty in getting such proportional detail accurate on such a large scale to be viewed from a distance, the only thing a certain pair of chunin could see was the backside of the blonde boy that they were chasing through the village for having done such a 'monumental' thing. There were things these two chunin couldn't understand. Why the boy had painted the mountain. HOW the boy had painted the mountain. And why they couldn't seem to _catch_ said boy.

Even at the very moment that Sarutobi was being informed of Naruto's latest pinnacle of prankdom, Naruto was laughing as he bounded across rooftops, awnings and building ledges with memorized ease. The chunin were barely keeping up. Naruto dashed down towards the street as he cut around the corner of a tall wood fence wall. The chunin followed, speeding past the wall and heading down the street. A few moments later, part of the wall shifted as a camouflage sheet dropped, revealing Naruto, who stepped away from the wall to look down the way that his pursuers had gone.

"Hahaha! Geeze, what a couple of wusses! Hahaha!" The blonde boy enjoyed having fun from time to time.

"**Holy! Talk about pathetic! And those are supposed to be chunin? Gah! I've told you you're better than you think, Naru-kun!**" Kyaena exasperated.

"NARUTO!" A voice boomed in Naruto's ear, causing the boy to jump six feet straight up before coming down on his butt in front of the person.

"Ah! Iruka-sensei! How many times have I told you not to do that!? What the heck are you doing here!?" Naruto yelled up at his teacher.

"No, the question is what the heck are _you _doing here when you should be in class by now!?" Iruka shouted back.

* * *

Only about ten minutes later, Naruto sat on the floor of the academy classroom, his arms simplistically tied up with plain rope. The rest of the class looked on as Iruka scolded the super prankster.

"Naruto, what am I supposed to do with you?" Iruka shook his head. "Tomorrow is the graduation exam, and the majority of the class has signed up to take it. You've already failed it the last two times it came around!"

"Pft. And who's fault is that...?" Naruto mumbled under his breath. Iruka's eye twitched.

"Do you _want _to be left behind again!? Picking _now _of all times for another of your ridiculous, inappropriate pranks!?" Iruka stamped his foot. Naruto just turned his nose up, making a vein throb on Iruka's face. "FINE THEN! I guess we'll just have to have a review exam on the Transformation Jutsu, and EVERYONE will have to take it!"

The whole class groaned and complained as Iruka released the ropes on Naruto, and all the students formed a line. One by one they stepped forward, having to make an image of Iruka. Naruto watched in a bored mood as they proceeded.

'_I think Iruka-sensei just gets a kick out of ruining peoples' day._' He grumphed as Sakura stepped up and did her transformation. '_And he's taken to punishing everyone else whenever he's angry with me! That's not how a sensei is supposed to act!_'

"**He's certainly become more unfair to the others, that's true. Maybe he needs a little humility lesson. After all, it's been awhile since you pranked him.**" Kyaena snickered as Sasuke stepped up and did his transformation, then moved to the side with the rest that had finished.

"Next, Naruto Uzumaki!" Iruka called.

"Jeeze, what a drag. Iruka-sensei's temper has been getting worse lately, picking on us like this." Shikamaru droned to Naruto's left.

"Don't blame Iruka-sensei, blame Naruto! It's _his _constant goofing off that gets us in trouble!" Ino snapped to Naruto's right.

"Like it makes any difference to me." Naruto mumbled as he stepped forward. He didn't notice a pair of pale lavender eyes several positions down the line, silently gazing at him.

"Alright Naruto, get on with it." Iruka stated, holding his note clipboard. Naruto just smirked.

"Transform!" He called as a puff of smoke enveloped him. Barely a second later, most of the smoke dispersed, leaving only a few wisps that covered the intimate parts of a now pig-tailed, female, and naked, Naruto.

There were a chorus of gasps from all the other students, with most of the boys trying to keep their eyes in their sockets, while the girls looked on with anger, and perhaps a little envy at the incredibly fit and unbelievably curvy blonde. Iruka gave a shriek as he was propelled backwards from the jets of blood from his nose, an action that distracted most of the class, so no one saw Sasuke turn away slightly, holding his own nose. Naruto poofed back to his own form as he looked on with gratification.

"Hahaha! Gotcha! That'll teach you to try to teach me about inappropriate behavior, you pervert!" Naruto laughed.

"NARUTO! HOW BIG A FOOL ARE YOU!? WASTING ALL YOUR TIME AND TALENT INVENTING THESE STUPID TRICKS!?" Iruka had jumped back up to scream in a overwhelmingly threatening manner, but the effect was ruined by the little twists of tissue that were stuck up his nose.

"TALENT!? When the hell have _you _**ever** thought that I had talent!?" Naruto shouted back, more than ready to knock his block off. The rest of the class could only gape, none of them having anywhere near the nerve necessary to get involved when these two were going at it.

* * *

"**Remember, the opportunities for training come in many forms.**" Kyaena instructed seriously.

'_Oh yeah, sure, standing on a mountainside with a mop and bucket is GREAT training._' Naruto grumbled.

He had been dragged up to the mountain after class by Iruka. Although Naruto was standing at a ninety degree angle from the rock face on his own, a scaffold rig platform had been lowered down, and held a number of buckets of water. Naruto was rapidly mopping away at the paint on the stone beneath his feet as Iruka sat on a ledge a number of feet above him.

"You're not leaving here until you've cleaned off every last drop of paint!" Iruka called down. Naruto glared back up at him.

"Well that'll take forever just using a mop! There's a reason I used chalk-based stage paint! One good rain, or a couple of water jutsu, and the whole mountain will be right back to it's old, boring self!" Naruto snapped. "And as far as threatening me with not being able to leave, you've seem to have forgotten that I've got nowhere to go! After all, is not like there's anyone waiting for me back in that empty apartment!" Naruto turned his back towards Iruka as he continued his mopping.

Iruka sat staring down at the frustrated boy. Sitting on the stone face of the Sandaime, he looked to his left and right at the other three giant stone faces that still needed to be cleaned. It was obvious that it would take a week or more to get them all done if it was only Naruto cleaning them. Which was severely confusing to Iruka, since the boy had somehow painted them all in an absurdly short time to begin with.

"Naruto, how DID you paint all this in one night?" Iruka asked.

"Pah! You're the high and mighty chunin-sensei! You figure it out!" Naruto grumphed. Iruka just sighed, shaking his head. A few awkward minutes passed, before Iruka spoke again.

"Um, hey, Naruto?" The chunin said carefully.

"What now!?" Naruto snapped in irritation.

"**He's probably going to try to butter you up in some way as an 'apology' for dragging you through class today! But don't let him off the hook easy!**" Kyaena snorted.

"Well, I was just thinking, you're right, it would take forever to mop all this up. But if you work the rest of the afternoon, then maybe afterwards, I could buy you some ramen for dinner. You know, the good stuff. Whatdaya say?" Iruka scratched at his head a bit, but blinked when Naruto whirled on him.

"RAMEN!? ALRIGHT! NOW THAT'S SOME **REAL **MOTIVATION! I'LL HAVE THE OLD MANS FACE CLEAN BY SUNSET FOR SURE!" Naruto pumped his fist in the air, before returning to mopping at a freaky pace. Kyaena just buried her nose under her tails in embarrassment as Iruka sweat-dropped.

* * *

Several hours later, as the sun was setting, Iruka took Naruto off the mountain, leaving a team of a few jonin and a cluster of chunin to finish cleaning with hoses and water jutsu, just as Naruto said they could. Iruka and Naruto made their way to the only place in Konoha that served 'the good stuff'. Ichiraku's.

Although they were the only customers by that time of evening, it didn't stop the pair from enjoying their food with all the usual gusto as Teuchi and Ayame looked on in amusement. After they had each had one bowl to start, as their seconds were handed to them, Iruka finally turned to his student.

"Naruto, please tell me! Why would you do such a thing to the stone faces? Don't you have any respect for them? I mean, you do know who the Hokage are, don't you?" Iruka asked intently.

"Of course I do!" Naruto huffed, taking a moment to finish off his third bowl. "They're the great leaders of the Leaf Village. The most powerful ninja who swear their lives to protect the village and all those who live in it. But they also have to help the village grow and prosper, which can only be done if the people trust them enough to let them help." Naruto paused a moment to smirk a bit. "And the Old-Man is the greatest of them! He's been Hokage for so long, he knows the village inside and out! He knows exactly how to keep everything running smoothly! He's kept the village virtually untouched even after the two great wars! And the best part of all, is that EVERYONE respects him!" Naruto started on his fifth bowl. Iruka gave a slight cough.

"Yes, it's true that Sandaime-sama is truly a great leader. But the Yondaime was considered the greatest of all the Hokage, and yet you painted his face in the most insulting way possible! Why?" Iruka asked in a irritated voice. Naruto shrugged.

"Because he's not all that great as far as I'm concerned. In case you didn't notice, I painted the mountain to match the greatest _personal_ accomplishments of the Hokage." Naruto took a swig of his fruit juice. "The Shodai. The founder of Konoha. The only known person in the world to have ever possessed the power of the wood element of living nature. He literally single-handedly created the great forest of the Fire Nation, where there was once only few woods on the great plains that existed before. So I painted him like a wooden man." Naruto took a swig of his milk. "The Nidaime. Younger brother of the Shodaime. Considered the greatest master of the water element of his time. He stood by his brother to build the village, and brought the great rivers inland to keep the great forest alive for ages to come. Wielder of the legendary Sword of Raijin. So I made him creating the endless waters, and better his eyes than his nose or mouth." Naruto started on his ninth bowl of ramen. "Sandaime. Student of the Shodai and Nidaime. One of the rarest of ninja to have at least some ability in five jutsu elements, more than most ninja. Sensei to the so called 'legendary three'. Master of nearly every one of the thousand-plus Konoha jutsu, and that's not even considering jutsu learned from outside the village. Again as I said before, he was tributed for the success of Konoha in the two ninja wars of his time. His great mind and knowledge caused him to earn the nickname, 'The Professor of Shinobi'. So I made him into a living lesson of a study scroll." Naruto paused to take a drink.

'_What the heck? Is this the real Naruto?_' Iruka sat gaping drop-jawed at what he had thought was his worst student, and yet the boy was rambling off what had become a summarized minor history lesson. Teuchi and Ayame were just smiling to themselves as they were cleaning up in preparation of closing.

"And then there's the Yondaime. Frankly, there's not much to him. He was a student of one of the ThreeNin, um, the Toad-Sage I think, although I don't quite recall the name." Naruto frowned as he scratched his head for a moment. "Well, then there's the supposed stories of his battle success against Iwa. But beyond that, there's very little known about him for anything more specific. It's kinda strange, I think." Naruto shrugged. Iruka stared at Naruto in disbelief at his critical omission.

"Naruto, how could you possibly forget his greatest achievement! It was the Yondaime that saved the village by destroying the Kyuubi no Kitsune!" Iruka scolded.

"Actually, no, I don't count that as one of the Yondaime's own achievements." Naruto shook his head lightly as he took a big drink of juice.

"**Careful, Naru-kun...**" Kyaena warned.

"What!? Why would you say such a thing!?" Iruka shouted in outrage. Teuchi and Ayame paused in their work to give worried glances at the two. Naruto looked at Iruka with a forced calm face.

"Tell me, do you think the Yondaime would be considered as great as he is if the Kyuubi had never appeared?" Naruto asked.

"Wh-what?" Iruka blinked in surprise. Of anything he might have expected, that certainly hadn't been one of them.

"Think about it. The Yondaime is considered the greatest Hokage ONLY because he managed to prevent the destruction of the village at the hands, err, paws, of the Kyuubi. If the Kyuubi had appeared at a different time, like during the time of the Nidaime, or had never even appeared at all, the Yondaime might still be Hokage now, and might even be considered a good military leader because of his actions in the war with Iwa and some what with Kumo. But he wouldn't be considered anywhere near as great as he is now." Naruto shrugged as he explained. "In a way, even the thought of an event like that, a great demon appearing out of nowhere, seems almost completely impossible. It was just a complete random chance. I mean, it's not like the Yondaime deliberately lured the Kyuubi to the village just to prove his own strength or something. No one who truly cared for the village would ever do such a thing. When you really sit down and think about it, the whole event was just a big accident. A disastrous, tragic accident, but an accident nonetheless." Naruto said.

"**Well, ok, I guess that wasn't too badly worded. But still, be careful. Don't go overboard.**" Kyaena cut in.

'_Hey, he wanted an explanation. It's not my fault if he can't handle the truth._' Naruto thought back. He sighed. "So, considering that he's only known for one or two such big and publicized events that are little more than big show-offs of 'the power of Konoha', it seems to me the Yondaime's image is an act. A publicity performance. Yes it's true he gave his life to protect the village as a true Hokage would, but it seems to me that no-one is able to see past that. They only see the title, and not the person behind it, at least when compared his much more understood predecessors. So I painted his face to reflect that of one of the most respected and talented actor professions. It wasn't really an insult. It was just the only thing I could think of that seems to fit." Naruto shrugged as he finished his explanation.

Iruka was nonplussed, but he was also struggling to not loose his temper. He was severely disappointed in Naruto for doubting and speaking poorly of the Yondaime, and was also angry because of the circumstances that Naruto was making light of. And worst of all, that Naruto's reasoning did make a kind of depressing sense. But deciding it wasn't the proper time or place to get into a huge argument over the matter, he sucked up the rant he had been tempted to shout out at Naruto, and tried to get back to his original questioning.

"But, if you respect the Hokage so much, then why-" Iruka tried to say before Naruto cut in.

"Because I'm going to be greater than all of them! You'll see! When I become Hokage, then everyone will know the name, Naruto Uzumaki! Then they'll stop looking down on me and start treating me with respect!" Naruto clicked his chopsticks harshly with his declaration. '_Better than telling him the **real **reason, eh, Kya-chan?_' He sighed inwardly.

"**Payback because those couple of jounin used you as their personal pin-cushion before you could hide away for the festival? I still say you shouldn't have made the Hokage faces so presentable. After all, that set of cloths were ruined.**" Kyaena growled lightly. But Iruka was just amused by Naruto's outward reasoning.

'_Naruto really has a one-track mind. I think I must've heard that exact little speech from him a hundred times this past year alone._' Iruka shook his head with a slight chuckle.

"Um, hey, Iruka-sensei... Can I ask one little favor?" Naruto suddenly asked with his hands pleading in front of him. Iruka looked up, startled.

"Uh, what? You want another bowl?" Iruka asked, thinking it was what he meant, though he sweat-dropped when he saw the twelve empty bowls already in front of the boy.

"No, it's just... Can I try on your Hitai-ate once? Pleeeeaaasseee?" Naruto whined. Iruka blinked.

"My...?" Iruka reached up to touch the metal on his forehead. Understanding, he gave a smirk and a shake of his head. "No, sorry Naruto. These Hitai-ate are like badges of adulthood. They can only be worn by full-active ninja. You'll have to graduate tomorrow if you want one." He looked at the disappointment on Naruto's face, and felt a slight twinge, not noticing Naruto's harshly tense jaw, or that the boy's hand was trembling slightly as it held his milk glass. "Is that why you took off your goggles?" Iruka gave a slight laugh, poking at said item that was sitting on the counter. But Naruto didn't say anything. Not out loud anyway.

'_What does he thinks he's doing? Trying to imply that he would **actually **pass me tomorrow? Is he just mocking me now!?_' Naruto thought bitterly.

"**I can't tell. But don't let yourself get too angry. Hiding you emotions is one thing, but if you're chakra gets out of control, it'll mean big trouble.**" Kyaena said. Iruka was still staring at Naruto.

"Naruto?" Iruka leaned forward a bit, then sighed. "Look Naruto, about tomorrow, I think we should talk-what?" Iruka stopped when Naruto suddenly slapped some money down.

"Sorry Ayame-chan, but I don't feel like finishing my milk. I'll see you later." Naruto said as he grabbed his goggles and rushed out of the ramen bar. Ayame frowned and Teuchi turned his back as he put away the last of the pots.

"Naruto..." Iruka sighed, and stopped Ayame from taking the half-full glass of milk as he reached for it himself. "No, hang on, I'll finish that. I wouldn't mind a bit-YEOWCH!" Iruka shouted as he dropped the glass to the ground, of course, causing it to shatter. "Holy! That is searing hot!" Iruka blew on his hand for a moment before looking at the two surprised cooks. "Does Naruto always have his milk that hot?"

"N-no! It shouldn't have been hot at all!" Ayame shook her head in surprise as she moved to clean up the broken glass. Iruka helped her clean up before walking out of the bar. He walked down the street, heading for his own apartment, staring at the hand he had almost burned.

'_I'm just not sure what to do with you, Naruto. I can never tell when you're being serious, and when your goofing off. You fail every test in your classes, yet are somehow able to pull of unbelievable things in those pranks of yours. Like your chakra control obviously being greater than the rest of the class, considering you were standing on the cliffside unaided._' Iruka sighed. His feelings over Naruto had gotten quite confusing this past year. '_I can't tell if you have help, or you're just pretending, or what. I just don't know what to do with you._' He sighed again as he walked on.

Elsewhere in the village, in Naruto's apartment, said knucklehead was getting into bed, with all his thoughts on the graduation exam.

'_He was mocking me. He had to be. He knows damn well that I still can't do the Clone Jutsu. He'll probably get a big kick out of failing me again tomorrow._' Naruto thought.

"**I'm not sure about that. His behavior towards you has changed quite a bit this past year. He seems to always have something on his mind. And he's been trying to lecture you as much as yell at you. I think he's close to getting over whatever hatred he has for you.**" Kyaena purred hopefully. "**And if not, you can always leave the village.**" She stated the last part bluntly, not even bothering with an argument.

'_I'd really prefer to avoid that option if I can..._' Naruto mumbled as he rolled over to sleep, leaving Kyaena stunned. Naruto had always been fanatical about never leaving the village, but now he was calling it an 'option'?

'_**Maybe I need to be a little more careful myself. I don't want Naru-kun changing too much.**_' She pondered as she curled up.

* * *

The next morning, Naruto rushed to the academy. He didn't know why, but he was feeling a bit more on edge than usual. He sat quietly in class for once, as Iruka and Mizuki were setting things up and taking roll. Having taken the exam twice before, Naruto already knew how it worked.

"Alright! We'll call each of you, one at a time. When your name is called, come through this door to the next room for your exam!" Iruka said.

Due to his name being second to the last on the alphabetical list, Naruto had to wait longer than the previous two times, since most of the class was taking the exam. Only Ino Yamanaka was after him on the list. It wound up taking more than half the day, with Naruto's name being called right after lunch.

Naruto walked into the room, seeing Iruka and Mizuki seated behind a table with the leftover Hitai-ate on it. Naruto just stood, staring at them.

"Well, considering your track record, we might as well skip to the end. Have you finally perfected the Clone Jutsu?" Iruka asked in a serious tone.

'_Well, here we go again._' Thought Naruto as he took his stance. Made the exact handsign. Adjusted his chakra just right. "Clone Jutsu!" He cried as a big poof of smoke burst up around him. But even before it cleared, Naruto knew. It was in his mind. That part of his mind that had still blocked out. When the smoke cleared a second later, there was his result. The same pale, pathetic, half-dead, knocked-out, barely-there phantom that he was only ever able to produce. He grimaced as he looked back over at the two chunin who were looking on in disbelief.

"YOU FAIL!" Iruka shouted harshly, nearly jumping out of his seat, but dropped back into it with a heavy sigh and down cast face.

'_**Wait a sec, he looks upset... disappointed. Hmm.**_' Kyaena noted as she could feel Naruto's anger beginning to build.

"Iruka..." Mizuki said slowly, "You know, this is his third time taking the exam. His form, handsign and chakra were all perfect, and he did create an image, even if a bit flawed." Mizuki said, making Iruka and Naruto look at him in surprise. Especially Naruto. "I'm not that great with the Clone Jutsu myself you know, and since he has already demonstrated in the past that he has grasped the rest of the basics, maybe we could cut him a break this time and let him pass." Mizuki shrugged at his own suggestion.

"**What the-? Why would he...?**" Kyaena sputtered in shock.

'_I don't believe it! Mizuki-sensei wants me to pass!? This is incredible!_' Naruto's face lit up with hope. He saw Iruka was staring at him hard, and you could practically hear the gears turning in his mind. But after a moment, Iruka dropped his head again.

"No Mizuki. All the other students were able to make at least three clone images, and yet Naruto can't even get one to work properly. And..." Iruka swallowed a lump, and Naruto's eyes narrowed in anger again, "No student can graduate unless they can perform the Transformation, Substitution, and Clone jutsu successfully. I can't pass Naruto with such a pitiful clone." He said, not looking up.

CRASH

Iruka and Mizuki jumped back out of their chairs, staring at the now smashed table in front of them, the Hitai-ate scattered on the floor. They watched as Naruto stormed out of the room. Mizuki just looked on impassively, but Iruka frowned. He had a very bad feeling in his gut, and just stared down at the mess in front of him, hoping his lie didn't cause a disaster.

* * *

It was the afternoon, and as the graduates exited the academy, they were greeted by their family and friends. Outside the main entrance, the crowd was mingling with joyful laughs and sounds of congratulations all over. However, Naruto was sitting on a tree swing over a hundred feet away, just looking on with a dull face. Unlike the first two times he had failed, for some reason, Naruto didn't feel like going out to abuse the training fields like he did before. He just sat watching the people, the families, going on and on, and listening to the parents or older siblings congratulating their sons, daughters, brothers and sisters. With his slightly heightened hearing, he even caught the whispers of a few who were bad mouthing him, calling him a failure. That he deserved it. That he was... well, they usually stopped short, but it was obvious what they thought. Naruto even saw Sarutobi standing next to Iruka over by the academy doors, but they didn't make any move to approach him.

'_Another year... I'll have to stay another year... But what will it matter. They'll never let me pass. They won't ever look beyond my one weakness._' Naruto was feeling especially depressed. Kyaena knew it was because he was watching the families.

"**If you really believe that, then leave the village. As long as your not a ninja, they can't stop you. You have no parents or legal guardian that could object, or get in trouble. You have no ties here. Even the Old-Man can't stop you if you decide to go. And if anyone tries to force you to stay, you'll show them just how strong you really are!**" Kyaena urged seriously.

'_And go where? I may have read about the other villages and nations and countries, but going out there for real is different than it is in books. I don't know where to go, I don't know what I'd do. And what ninja village would want a kid who failed the academy exam three times? No one wants a loser. Why else do you think I want to succeed so badly?_' Naruto was trying not to tense up, but his grip on the swing rope still tightened. '_If I can succeed, I'll have no need to leave. If I fail, I'll have no reason to leave. So I'm stuck either way. I'll probably wind up the oldest academy student in history._' Naruto sighed, pulling his goggles from his belt and putting them in place on his forehead. Kyaena gave an annoyed hiss.

"**Well, you don't _tell _them you've failed, idiot! You just demonstrate the skills you do have, and let them decide! You're definitely stronger than the average genin, so you'd have no trouble being enlisted, and they'd respect your skill and...**" She paused briefly as Naruto felt a presence behind him. He looked up to find Mizuki standing over him, with a slight smile on his face, of all things.

"Hey, Naruto. How's about you join me for a walk? I'd like to talk to you." Mizuki said. In Naruto's mind, Kyaena let out a low growl, but Naruto decided he didn't have anything to loose, and could pick up his training tomorrow. The two left, not seeing Sarutobi and Iruka head into the academy a few moments later.

A little while later, as the sun was beginning to set, Mizuki and Naruto were to be found sitting up on the roof of a building, just kicking their feet.

"So. What was it you wanted to say?" Naruto asked.

"Well, look Naruto, I know Iruka might seem a little mean about all this. But he really is trying to help you, in his own way." Mizuki said. "You have to realize that he's a very serious guy. His parents died when he was barely older than you are now, so he's had to accomplish everything else in his life on his own. He's had to work harder and be more dedicated to become who he is. So that's why he's a bit hard on you. You remind him of himself." Mizuki shrugged, as Naruto's eyes widened a bit.

"I remind him... of himself?" Naruto asked in surprise.

"That's right. And that's why he wants you to be strong with all his heart, but that won't happen if he goes easy on you. I would think you'd understand that. Understand how he feels... one orphan to another?" Mizuki said, looking over at an uneasy Naruto.

"If he was only being tough on me, that would be true. But it's not just that. He just refuses to see how strong I am. He doesn't look at my strengths, only my weaknesses." Naruto fidgeted a bit. "The Clone Jutsu is the ONLY thing I've ever had trouble with, an yet it's like everyone sees that as some kind of terrible flaw that makes me unreliable. It's not justifiable to label me because of it." Naruto flicked a pebble off the edge where he was sitting. "And I've gotten to the point that I don't know if there's anything else I'll be able to learn from the academy. Having to keep repeating the classes won't help my skill grow much more. I don't know if I'll be able to get any stronger if I keep getting held back. And that's why... This time... This time, I really wanted to graduate." Naruto slumped a bit.

Mizuki stared at Naruto for a minute, before sighing.

"Then, I guess I don't have much choice." He said, making Naruto look at him curiously. "I'll just have to tell you the secret that Iruka's been making me keep all this time."

"Secret? What secret?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

"You see Naruto," Mizuki shifted around to face the boy, "There's another way you could graduate."

Naruto's eyes turned hard with anger.

* * *

It was late in the night after the conversation with Mizuki that Naruto was silently rushing across roofs. Arriving at his destination, he opened the window and slipped inside the Hokage mansion. Making his way through a couple hallways, he paused as he took out a folded piece of paper, opened it, re-read it, then slipped it back into his pocket. He carefully found his way to the door he was looking for, and let himself in. It was a room with scroll racks from floor to ceiling on all four walls, with hundreds and hundreds of scrolls and books and records of all kinds stuffed everywhere.

"**Naru-kun, PLEASE reconsider this! I don't trust that ass Mizuki at all!**" Kyaena begged. She had been trying to reason with Naruto ever since his conversation with Mizuki. But Naruto was still extremely angry, and was focused on the possibility of finally getting out of the academy.

'_If he's so untrustworthy, why would he tell me about this?_' Naruto demanded as he looked around at the mess. '_He's giving me the chance to finally graduate, and you're questioning it!?_' He snapped.

"**If it's really legitimate, then why did he tell you to _sneak _in here? Why not just go to Iruka tomorrow and tell him you found out about the other graduation method, and want to take it?**" She argued.

'_If he's been keeping this a secret from me for so long, do you really think he's going to admit it? He'd just deny everything and never let me try! If I can complete it first, then I can catch him by surprise and he won't be able to hold me back anymore!_' Naruto took a step forward to start looking for what he was seeking in the room, but then the lights flicked on, startling him and making him whip around in place to see Sarutobi standing in the doorway.

"Naruto?" The old man blinked in clear surprise. "What are you doing in my house in the middle of the night?" Naruto winced.

"Sorry Old-Man, I didn't mean to wake you up. I thought I was being quiet enough." Naruto gestured in apology. "I just need to borrow a scroll."

"Oh? And it was so important that you couldn't wait till morning to ask me?" Sarutobi asked warily. Naruto nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, I need it for the academy! I still have a chance to graduate, but I have to have my work done before morning so that I can join the rest of my classmates the day when they have their genin orientation!" Naruto explained rapidly.

"Graduation?" Sarutobi asked, now VERY wary. "Iruka is giving you another chance to graduate with this years' class?" He raised an eyebrow when Naruto frowned.

"No. Not Iruka. If it were up to him, I'd probably not even be allowed into the academy anymore." Naruto grumped, but then brightened. "Mizuki-sensei is helping me with this! So please, I just need to borrow a scroll for a few hours!" Naruto pleaded. "I promise to bring it right back as soon as I'm done with it!"

Sarutobi stood looking at the eager boy. He couldn't feel any sense of deception, but the whole situation felt seriously off. It was highly unusual for a student to be given a second exam, but it wasn't _completely _unheard off. It just seemed strange to him that Iruka hadn't mentioned anything about it earlier at the academy. But Sarutobi knew just how badly Naruto wanted to graduate to prove himself, and if this was his chance, Sarutobi knew he'd feel horrible if he wound up ruining it for the boy. Naruto worked harder than any other kid his age, and Sarutobi knew becoming a ninja was the only life the boy had for himself. As long as Naruto never gave up on his efforts, Sarutobi wasn't about to try to hinder him, considering the promises the old shinobi had made.

"Very well Naruto. If it really is that important to you, you can go ahead, as long as you return what you borrow right after." Sarutobi said as he turned to leave, but not before giving a last over-the-shoulder look at Naruto. "I take it that since you were able to let yourself in, you'll be able to let yourself out?" He smirked, as Naruto smiled back, if a bit embarrassed.

"Right! Thanks Old-Man!" Naruto chuckled as the Hokage walked out. '_Okay, now, where is that scroll?_' Naruto turned to start digging under a large pile of paper, until he pulled out an exceptionally huge scroll from under and behind a hefty ton of others. '_Jackpot! Now all I have to do is learn one of the jutsu on this scroll, and it's graduation time!_' He snickered.

'_**Well, even if this turns out badly, as least Naru-kun has the chance to learn something new. Besides, it's not like Mizuki could possibly pose a threat to him.**_' Kyaena thought. '**_Hmm. Heck, maybe I should _hope _Mizuki tries something. That way Naru-kun could finally beat the stuffing out of him._**' She couldn't help but smirk at the entertaining thought.

Strapping the huge scroll onto his back, Naruto quickly left (turning out the light on the way), and exited out the same window he entered. He then rushed off, heading through the village till he reached a heavy forested area at the villages' edge where Mizuki had told him to practice at. Another few minutes of running and Naruto had found the exact spot. There was a simple shed/tool house and a small clearing where Naruto finally sat down, shifted the scroll from his back to his lap and pulled it open.

'_Alright, lets see here. The first jutsu on the scroll is... the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!? ARGH! I can't believe this! A clone jutsu!? My only problem area, and it's shoving itself in my face AGAIN!_' Naruto groaned as he smacked his head in frustration.

"**Wait a minute, wait a minute. Look at the description there.**" Kyaena instructed. Naruto sighed as he looked at the scroll again.

'_... Ninjutsu that creates physical body duplicates... wait, physical? As in, solid? It's not an illusion?_' Naruto straightened up as he took new interest in the material in front of him, despite some of the writing having been black-censored out.

"**Well, maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all!**" Kyaena grinned and waved her tails happily at the thought of helping to eliminate Naruto's handicap.

But Naruto didn't really hear her as he was already reading intently.

* * *

Iruka was wide awake as he lay in bed in his apartment. He was just staring vacantly up a the ceiling, thinking over... things.

His mind kept shifting between the image of Naruto, sitting alone on a rope swing far away from everyone at the doors of the academy, to thoughts of what Sarutobi had spoken to him about mere minutes later...

... To memories of a vicious battle taking place between the ninja of Konoha, and the Kyuubi no Kitsune. The battle where his parents had died.

Sarutobi had told him to be patient and understanding with Naruto. How he didn't have a family, and only a single friend who had never done anything more than train the boy to become a ninja. Iruka had been considerably surprised at that. To learn of this other teacher, this Kyaena Unaikaji who had been training Naruto. Iruka couldn't remember Naruto ever mentioning her before, nor had he ever seen any adults around him other than Teuchi at Ichiraku's or the Hokage himself.

'_If I've really been so careless as to miss something like that, I wonder what else about Naruto I've been missing._' Iruka wondered to himself. A sudden hard knocking at his door jarred him out of his thoughts.

"Iruka! Iruka, wake up!" Came the familiar voice from outside. Iruka quickly got up and opened the door.

"Mizuki? What? What is it?" Iruka asked his fellow chunin, who seemed quite distraught.

"You must come to the Hokage's mansion immediately! It's Naruto!" Mizuki gasped, making Iruka go stiff. "Somehow... Somehow Naruto found out about and stole the sacred forbidden scroll!"

"WHAT!? You mean the scroll of sealing!? How!? When!?" Iruka demanded even as he furiously rushed to get his chunin vest on.

"I don't know! It seems it happened several hours ago!" Mizuki shrugged helplessly.

"Come on! We've got to hurry!" Iruka raced out of his apartment. '_Oh no! What have you done Naruto? And... why?_' Iruka thought to himself with that same terrible feeling in his gut that had only been getting worse all day.

So deep was he in his own thoughts, that it took nearly two minutes to realize that Mizuki wasn't with him. Iruka stopped abruptly, looking around. He had a moment of conflicted decision. He had one thought to rush to see the Hokage to find out what happened, but on the other hand, that terrible feeling he had told him to find Naruto as quickly as possible, or... something bad would happen.

Gritting his teeth, Iruka turned and rushed off in another direction to find Naruto himself. After all, he was the best at it anyway.

* * *

Sarutobi was standing outside the front gate of the Hokage mansion, wondering how in the world he had found himself in such a situation. Nearly two dozen angry jonin and chunin were gathered in front of him, and they were in an uproar.

"Hokage-sama, we cannot forgive him this time! This is no prank, this is a serious crime!" Said one.

"The scroll contains dangerous secrets that were sealed by the Shodai! Secrets known only to our village!" Shouted another.

"If the scroll is taken from the village, and is intercepted by our enemies, they could destroy our entire way of life!" Argued a third.

Sarutobi was looking over all of his subordinates in front of him, concerned, but also confused over the situation.

'_I don't understand. Naruto only said he wanted to borrow a scroll for use in his academy lessons. I know he was upset about failing his exam earlier, but there was absolutely no indication that he would do something like this. And what's more, I don't believe he would've known what that scroll was. He would have had to have been told to look for it specifically. He said that it was Mizuki, not Iruka, that was giving him another chance at graduation._' Sarutobi scanned the faces of the ninja. '_But neither of them are here now. This is definitely not right._' He took a puff on his pipe. '_Especially considering the first of these ninja showed up saying that Mizuki had told them of Naruto's theft. He will have to be questioned. But finding Naruto and recovering the scroll is the first priority._'

"Hokage-sama! What are your orders? Should we hunt down and kill the filthy brat?" A jonin to one side asked hopefully. Sarutobi gave him a furious glare.

"Now! Listen to me! These are my orders!" Sarutobi shouted above everyone, causing them to go instantly silent. "Of course it is critical to recover the scroll. However, I want Naruto brought directly to me, UNHARMED. Is that absolutely clear?" He demanded. After a moment, the ninja gave nods of understanding. "Very well! GO!" Sarutobi waved, and the whole mass of ninja _whooshed _away on their search.

Sarutobi stood standing in the gateway of his home for a minute before turning and heading inside, to conduct a search in his own fashion...

* * *

Iruka bounded across rooftops, stopping to catch his breath as he thought as hard as he could about where Naruto might be. He thought of places the blonde had wandered around in the past, as well thinking of places he himself had used in his younger days. Trying to think of places a frustrated boy would go.

'_I'll try the forest at the edge of the village. He might have simply followed one of the streams from the training grounds into the woods._' Iruka thought before taking off again.

* * *

Mizuki raced along the empty village streets, all the while grinning to himself. He was circling the long way around the village to meet where he had told Naruto to be. He had to make sure that no one followed him.

'_This is perfect! Now that I've told everyone what Naruto has done, I'm free to exterminate him! The people will be glad he's gone, and I'll be seen as a hero! And of course, the perfect prize, as I'll be keeping the scroll for myself!_' He thought with satisfaction.

* * *

Naruto was resting on the ground, breathing just slightly heavier than normal from his hours of exertion. He had really gone all out, and was slightly sore for his efforts, not from a lack of chakra, which he still had buckets to spare, but just because of the slight strain on his chakra system as a whole. But it had _definitely_ been worth it.

'_I did it! I did it! This jutsu is incredible! There's no way I'll be able to fail now!_' Naruto thought gleefully, and, not so surprisingly, Kyaena was every bit as enthusiastic.

"**YES! You're fantastic Naru-kun! It was listed as an A-rank ninjutsu, and you mastered it in only a few hours! One night! That's got to be some kind of record!**" Kyaena squealed. "**And just the shear number of possible uses for this jutsu will surely help you become stronger than ever!**" She was purring so hard, it was almost enough to actually send vibrations down Naruto's spine.

The two were interrupted from their private celebrations when a shadow appeared over them. Naruto looked up to find his teacher standing over him, half out of breath himself.

"Ha! Now I've got you!" Naruto sprang to his feet, pointing triumphantly at Iruka.

"IDIOT! I'm the one who has you!" Iruka shouted back, but blinked as he looked the boy over, how scuffed up and dirty he was. He looked like he had been doing exercises, and even the area around them looked as though it had been seriously trampled. '_What in the world? Has he been out here, training?_' He thought in confusion.

"You're too late Iruka-sensei! I may have only had time to learn one jutsu, but one is all I needed!" Naruto laughed.

"What? Naruto, what are you doing with that scroll!?" Iruka demanded, but Naruto just smiled even bigger.

"Yeah yeah! Surprised to see it aren't you!? Well to bad! I found out all about the secret you've been keeping from me! Trying to hold me back, to keep me failing! But I found out all I had to do was learn a jutsu from this scroll, and once I prove to you I've mastered it, you'll have to let me graduate!" Naruto thumped his chest smugly.

"What? Jutsu? Graduate? Who told you that?" Iruka asked, dumbfounded at the bizarre twist that the serious events had taken.

"Yeah, that's right! Mizuki-sensei told me all about it! He told me where to find the scroll, then told me about this place so I could come out and practice..." Naruto trailed off and paused when he saw the almost horrified look on Iruka's face, one that was _not _directed at him, but just off into space.

'_Mizuki? He told Naruto to get the..._' Iruka thought, shocked at the implication.

'_Hey, what's going on? Why does he look-_' Naruto wondered in confusion, only to be snapped out of it harshly as a sense of danger washed over him.

"**L**O**O**K **O**U**T**!" Iruka and Kyaena both shouted at the same time, with Iruka's hand shooting out at Naruto's chest. But Naruto, no stranger to surprise attacks, had already began a backwards lunge to escape the hit, causing Iruka to whiff through empty air, throwing him off balance. In the half-second it took him to shift his weight to catch himself, a barrage of kunai and shuriken assaulted him, slamming him against the tool shed.

Naruto slid to a stop a dozen feet away, and looked on in shock as Iruka had one kunai buried in his right thigh, two in his left leg, one that was stuck in his upper abdomen, and one in each of his shoulders, though they were mostly stopped by the protective padding of his chunin vest. The majority of the other three dozen or so weapons were imbedded in the wood around him, most only an inch or two from having hit him. Naruto's first thought was...

'_Damn. Whoever threw those, their aim sucks._' He blinked.

"I must say, I'm surprised you found our little hideaway so very quickly." Came a voice, making Naruto and Iruka look up into a tree to see Mizuki standing on a large branch. His Hitai-ate was wrapped over the top of his head bandanna style so the black cloth covered most of his white hair, a simple act to minimize his visibility in the darkness. He also had two giant shuriken strapped to his back.

"I see, so that's how it is. Now I understand!" Iruka gasped out a growl.

"Naruto! Quickly, give me the scroll! Now!" Mizuki ordered.

"Whoa, hey! Mizuki-sensei, what the heck are you doing!? There was no need for that!" Naruto was looking back and forth between the two chunin rapidly. "It's already over! I learned the Jutsu, so now Iruka-sensei has to let me graduate! You don't have to be so rough on him!" He shouted quickly.

"Naruto! Don't let him have it! You must guard that scroll with your life!" Iruka shouted, making Naruto gape at him. "It contains forbidden jutsu that are more dangerous than you can imagine! They would put the village in great danger!" Iruka kept his eyes on the enemy in the tree. "Mizuki used you to get the scroll so he could have it for himself, for his own power!"

"W-what? No!" Naruto looked back at Mizuki who was looking down at the pair with a suspiciously calm and amused expression.

"**Don't worry, I won't say I told you so.**" Kyaena commented dryly.

"Naruto, Iruka is just trying to scare you because he doesn't want you to have the scroll!" Mizuki said with a tone of arrogant confidence.

"What do you mean, me having the scroll? I just borrowed it to learn the jutsu to graduate! I don't want to keep it!" Naruto said.

"Stop lying Mizuki! Naruto, don't let him fool you!" Iruka grunted as he yanked out one kunai from his shoulder.

"Lying? Oh no no, I'll tell you who's _really _been lying! I'll tell you the **truth**!" Mizuki finally let a sinister smile appear on his face, making Iruka pale in horrified realization.

"NO MIZUKI! YOU CAN'T!" Iruka nearly screamed in panic, making Naruto even more confused.

"They've all been lying to you your whole life, Naruto! Ever since the decree twelve years ago!" Mizuki sneered. Naruto blinked.

"Twelve years ago?" Naruto said out loud, though mostly to himself. '_If it was at the time I was born, it must be decree Old-Man-Hokage made to keep people shut up about you!_' He thought inwardly, being well aware of it, and how it had failed miserably. Kyaena just growled in agreement.

"Yes, a decree was made, a decree that everyone knows about... Except you!" Mizuki grinned at his former teaching partner. "Iruka is still trying to keep it hidden from you, even now! He'd do anything to shut me up!"

"DON'T DO IT MIZUKI, IT'S FORBIDDEN!" Iruka shouted at the top of his lungs.

"The decree states that no one was allowed to speak the truth to you... the truth, THAT YOU ARE THE KYUUBI NO KITSUNE!" Mizuki blared in victorious satisfaction, not really registering that Naruto was just standing and looking up at him blankly.

'_You know, under different circumstances, I would wish I could take that as a compliment._' Naruto thought off-handedly, making Kyaena snort a laugh. But Mizuki wasn't finished.

"You are the demon that tried to destroy our village, and murdered hundreds of our people, including Iruka's parents! It was the Yondaime Hokage that stopped your rampage and trapped you in this mortal form!" Mizuki was grinning like the maniac he was.

"STOP IT!" Iruka shouted, absolutely desperate.

"You see? They've all been sneaking around, hiding things from you your whole life! Didn't you find it strange, how they treated you? Like dirt! Like they hated you for just being alive! For even existing at all!" Mizuki shouted out.

'_Naruto..._' Iruka looked over at Naruto who was still standing completely motionless. He was so certain that the shock of it all was crushing the poor boy's spirit.

"You are a demon! That's why you'll never be accepted in the village! Even your own sensei hates your guts for murdering his parents!" Mizuki raved.

Iruka was being torn apart. He could here Sarutobi's words in his head as clearly as they had been spoken yesterday. How Naruto had struggled so hard in his life, having no mother, no father. How Naruto had been shunned and shut out of everything. How no one even wanted to acknowledge the boy's presence, not even looking at him as a person. Naruto was alone except for a single woman, a woman who was **not **from Konoha, who hadn't even raised him as a son, but instead had only trained him for the life of a ninja. The only life that Naruto had ever strived for. A life that Iruka now realized he had all but sabotaged because of his ignorance and bitterness.

'_And now... It's too late. The pain of this truth will devastate Naruto. His innocence is lost, and he'll never be the same again..._' Iruka thought with crushing guilt. But he had no idea what was going on in Naruto's mind at that moment.

'_Um, I think this is a problem._' Naruto remarked as he was still blankly looking up at Mizuki. '_Since obviously no one knows I know, and have tried to make sure I don't know, I know that Mizuki expects that me now knowing should cause me to react somehow. Suggestions?_' He asked.

"**Well, admitting it is obviously not acceptable, and you're far too familiar and comfortable with me to fake angry shock effectively, so...**" Kyaena pondered for a second. "**I say, go for complete disbelief.**"

'_Roger that_.' Naruto adjusted himself as he addressed Mizuki. "PFT! Oh puh-leeeaaasee!" He drawled out, causing a confused look from both Mizuki and Iruka. "I may be only twelve, but if you actually think that I would be so gullible as to believe such an outrageously fantastic story as that, then you've been sucking up too many fumes when you bleach your hair!" Naruto shouted, giving Kyaena a laugh.

Mizuki blinked in shock at Naruto's less-than-expected reaction. He had expected the boy to go crazy with rage and pain, not this. But Iruka was ecstatic.

'_I... I don't believe it! I mean, Naruto doesn't believe it! I mean, I can't believe that Naruto doesn't believe it!_' He gaped at the defiant blond. '_I still have a chance! I have to end this before Mizuki convinces him! I can still make things right!_' Iruka felt hope and determination fill his entire being. '_I can still protect Naruto!_'

"You... You filthy demon!" Mizuki sputtered in rage, both at his failure to break Naruto's spirit, and the rather witty insult the boy had snapped back at him. He yanked one of the giant shuriken from his back and began spinning it with one hand. "It's all over for you! Now you die!" He hurled the weapon. But as it whooshed through the air, Naruto just sneered.

"Oh yeah!? Bring it!" He shouted, taking a stance as he held out the huge scroll as a make-shift club, ready to swat the projectile away. But it was too much for Iruka. To see Naruto standing strong, even after being doubted, yelled at, lied to and threatened. Iruka knew if he didn't act now, he would never be able to forgive himself.

"NO NARUTO, GET DOWN!" Iruka shouted.

CRUNK

Naruto groaned from the impact when Iruka tackled him to the ground. He blinked as he raised his head a little, but stopped when he felt a drop of something hit his cheek. Even with the scroll still looped around his shoulder, Naruto was laying almost flat on the ground with Iruka braced/hunched over him. Naruto could tell that the giant shuriken was sticking out of Iruka's back, but all he could see, all he could stare at, was the trickle of blood seeping out from Iruka's mouth as he coughed. Even Mizuki seemed dumbfounded at the action that had just occurred.

"Wh... Why...?" Naruto gasped in shock.

"Be-Because, we're the same, you and I, Naruto..." Iruka struggled to speak. "After my parents died, no one seemed to care about me anymore. They ignored me, never showing me any support or praise. They didn't have time for me. It's like they forgot I was even there. I was so alone then..."

'_No... This... This isn't possible... No one has ever... taken the pain... pain meant for me... Not even Itachi ever... This can't be Iruka..._' Naruto could barely hear what Iruka was saying as he was suffering from another pain. A pain that started as an ache in his chest that also caused a mild pain in his head.

"**Naru-kun, calm down! Don't let yourself be overwhelmed now!**" Kyaena tried to reach out to her friend, even as Iruka continued.

"I was a terrible student. My grades suffered, and I became the class clown, because even being a fool was better than not being anything. I just wanted them to see me. To know my name. But it was so hard, and I hurt so much." Iruka couldn't stop the tears that flowed, dripping down onto Naruto's face alongside the drops of blood.

'_It's not supposed to be like this... No one is ever supposed to get hurt... It's supposed to be me... only me..._' Naruto was as still as a rock, and although terrible unknown feelings were swelling up inside him, his own eyes remained dry.

"**Please Naru-kun, just listen to him!**" Kyaena begged.

"That's right, isn't it? You're lonely, and it hurts inside, right? I was so hard on you, yelling, scolding, and it must have seemed like I didn't care at all. But I could have been, should have been there for you more." Iruka let our a sob. "I let you down. Please forgive me, Naruto. If I had been a better teacher... a better person... if only I had been more responsible, maybe we wouldn't have come to this. I'm so sorry Naruto! No one should ever have to suffer so much, to be alone like that!" Iruka sobbed again.

Mizuki, who had been listening with perverse amusement, broke out laughing.

"How utterly absurd! Iruka has always hated you! He was orphaned because of you! Because YOU killed his parents! He'd do anything to keep you weak! He'd say anything to get the scroll away from you!" Mizuki taunted.

Naruto and Iruka were still and silent for a moment, until Naruto stirred.

"We're nothing alike." He muttered before bolting out from Iruka and took off running at an insane speed that shocked the two chunin, the scroll still strapped to his back. '_How did this happen? Why? What in the world could make Iruka act like that? Why would he allow himself to be hurt...?_'

"No! Naruto! NARUTOOOOOO!" Iruka wailed in a vain attempt to stop the boy. Mizuki just smirked as he leapt out of the tree to land a dozen or so feet from Iruka.

"Pity. Well, you know how he is, once his mind's made up, nothing short of a miracle can change it." Mizuki stretched a bit. "Now that it's finally sunk into his head, he'll use the scroll to seek revenge on the village! You saw his eyes, didn't you? Those were the eyes of a demon!"

"No..." Iruka groaned as he forced himself to stand. He reached behind to pull the shuriken from his back, being very fortunate that the protective plating of his vest had prevented his spine from being hit. He turned with rage at Mizuki as he gripped the shuriken. "Naruto... isn't like that at all!" He spat as he flung the weapon at his opponent, but in his injured state, the throw was wide, allowing Mizuki to simply side step out of it's path.

"All I want is to kill the Kyuubi-brat and get the scroll. Once I'm done with him, I'll be back for you." Mizuki snorted as he leapt off in the direction that Naruto had gone.

Iruka forced himself to stagger to stay upright.

'_No, I will never let you hurt Naruto! NEVER!_' He seethed.

* * *

A group of jounin and chunin that had been searching for Naruto had re-gathered to see if anyone had found anything yet. But with no success, and the danger of the sacred scroll being lost, they were quickly becoming enraged.

"We should have killed him when we had the chance!" One with an eye patch was yelling. "But we can still make it right if we act now, while he's still a child, before the demon spirit can break free!"

"Yeah! Don't make the mistake of thinking that he's one of us! When we find him, he has to die!" Agreed one with a scarred face. But one of the group was not as eager for a child's death to be on his hands.

"Wait a damn minute! Hokage-sama's orders were to retrieve Naruto unharmed!" A giant of a man with a mass of red hair and heavy plate armor spoke up. He was Chouza Akimichi, father of Chouji Akimichi, and head of the Akimichi clan.

"We can't risk it! This is for the security of the village!" The eye-patch said. "We will have to arrange an 'accident' while retrieving the brat! Everyone knows he never goes quietly when trying to be caught! But if you don't have the stomach to do your duty to the village Chouza, feel free to go off and search on your own!" The man turned away to lead some of the others off again.

Chouza scowled at the departing man as he thought of the few times his son had spoken of Naruto, the boy who loved ramen.

* * *

Sarutobi sat in a special room of the Hokage tower/mansion. In this room was a large desk. On this desk, sitting on a soft cushion, was one of the most important artifacts of the village. A crystal ball. It was an item that was passed down from the Shodaime Hokage, and was only to be used by the Hokage that followed after. With it, the Hokage was granted the power to literally look over the village. It could be used to see and hear anyone or anything that was within the boundaries of Konoha. And Sarutobi had used it to locate Naruto, just before Iruka had first found him. Sarutobi had watched the events as Mizuki had appeared and had argued with and attacked Iruka and Naruto. Now Sarutobi watched as Naruto fled from the two.

'_This is not good. Mizuki has a big mouth._' Sarutobi thought to himself. '_For daring to speak of the secret, let alone plotting to steal the scroll of sealing, he'll spend the rest of his life in prison. But the bigger concern is Naruto._' He wanted to light his pipe, but didn't want to risk obscuring his vision in the crystal. '_At first, it seemed as if Naruto didn't believe what Mizuki said, and for that I thank you Kami. But now, strangely, it seems that it was Iruka's actions, not Mizuki's, that have upset and confused Naruto. He has never known anyone to put themselves in harms way on his behalf, and the shock of it seems to have impacted Naruto's views of the people he couldn't trust before._' Sarutobi shifted his hands over the crystal to get a different view. '_If Mizuki continues to harass Naruto much longer in this fashion, there's no telling how Naruto will be affected. His confusion and mistrust of the village might grow stronger. And what's more, as long as Naruto has the scroll, if he decides to keep investigating it, he might accidentally affect the seal that keeps the Kyuubi locked away. There's even a chance it could be broken completely, allowing the beast to be released. And if that happens... fear for us all._' The Hokage's brow furrowed with worry.

* * *

Naruto raced through the branches of the treetops. He had been running almost blindly, simply rushing onward. Suddenly he glanced to his right as Iruka came bounding alongside.

"Naruto! Everything Mizuki told you was a lie! He was just trying to confuse you! He only wants the scroll! Quickly, give it to me and I'll take it someplace safe!" Iruka shouted.

Naruto leapt to a branch between them before lunging forward, ramming his shoulder into Iruka's gut. The impact sent the both of them tumbling to the forest floor, where Iruka landed in a heap, but Naruto managed to catch himself, and staggered back against a tree before sliding to the ground. Iruka slowly picked himself up with difficulty.

"How? How did you know Naruto?" Iruka said before POOF, and Mizuki revealed himself. "How did you know I wasn't Iruka!?" He demanded.

Naruto smirked before POOF, there sat Iruka, with instead of a scroll, a log lay beside him.

"Because I'm Iruka." The battered teacher announced smugly.

"I see." Mizuki stood to face his opponent. "Why? Why would you want to save that freak? What could you gain by protecting the monster that murdered your parents?" He demanded.

"Simple. It means an idiot bastard like you won't get the scroll. Naruto's probably already gotten back to Hokage-sama by now." Iruka smirked confidently, unfortunately, neither he nor Mizuki were aware that Naruto was actually less than fifty feet away, hiding under some heavy bushes around the edge of a tree as he watched and listened.

"Hahaha! You're the idiot! You say that you and the Kyuubi-brat are the same, but in truth it is he and I that are most alike!" Mizuki smirked wickedly.

"Oh? And what road of twisted reasoning lead you to that ridiculous dead-end conclusion?" Iruka spat.

"It's so simple. He wants the scroll for his own power! That's how beasts are! He will pour all of his rage and bitterness into the scroll, and destroy everything in his path to get his vengeance!" Mizuki cackled. Iruka glared at him for a moment before responding.

"Your right..." He said.

In the bushes, Naruto cringed horribly as pain stabbed into his spirit. He had always suspected it, hell, he had always _expected _it... but to actually hear the words spoken out loud was worse. Worse than being _silently _hated, worse than being _silently _shunned.

'_It's true then! He only sees me as a monster! All he can see is his parent's murderer! Just like everyone else!_' Naruto nearly curled up on himself in despair.

"**I'm so sorry Naru-kun.**" Kyaena lamented. "**I'm sorry I was right about Mizuki... And I'm sorry you were right about Iruka.**" She whined at her friends pain.

'_If even my own sensei... There's nothing left then... I can't do any more here... I'll never be allowed to go on... I... I'll have to... leave the village..._' Naruto struggled to hold back tears that he knew would never come. But then his lips pulled back in a silent growl, revealing teeth that seemed a bit sharper than usual. '_But even if I have to leave, as long as I'm going, I'll do the village one more service... and KILL that filthy traitor!_' His eyes narrowed at Mizuki, but then snapped wide at the next words he heard.

"Your right, that is how _beasts _are, but that's not how Naruto is! It's not **who **Naruto is!" Iruka declared with absolute confidence. "Naruto is one of a kind! He works hard, puts his whole heart into whatever he does! Sure he messes up sometimes, and everyone jumps on him about it. People have doubted him, mocked him, even hated him, and yet he never quits! He has a unique empathy because of how he has suffered, and it has made him stronger! That's what separates him from a beast! Because he has the courage and spirit to let that hatred slip away into nothingness and strive to prove himself a better person!" Iruka smiled at Mizuki. "You say he's a demon? Well I say he is Naruto Uzumaki, an excellent student, and future ninja of Konoha!"

Naruto could only gape, drop-jawed at his teacher. He had NEVER heard anyone of the village praise him so much before. He wasn't even sure what to think. Kyaena immediately admonished herself for jumping to conclusions before everything had finished, although she was glad she had been right about Iruka after all. Mizuki however, after a moment of stunned silence, began laughing to the degree of hysteria.

"HAHAHAHA! An excellent student!? HAHAHAHA!" He held his sides to force himself to breath. "How utterly blind can you BE!? You've never believed in that brat! If you ever really thought anything of him, you would've realized a long time ago that he isn't the dead-last loser that everyone THINKS he is!" Mizuki laughed.

"Wh-What? What are you talking about?" Iruka asked, suddenly nervous. Naruto had resumed watching intently.

"You see!? Even now you can't realize it! You say the brat works so hard at everything, so tell me, why it is you never bothered to see it? Think back! His first year, how he worked his ass off every single day, and yet _somehow _he failed every single test?" Mizuki smiled, as Iruka paled. "You remember how he complained? How he claimed that he wasn't being given the same tests as the others? How he claimed that _someone _was sabotaging his tests, making him fail?"

"No... It can't be..." Iruka gasped, and in the bushes, Naruto's eyes were as ice with rage as his nails dug into the dirt. Kyaena growled viciously.

"Oh what fun I had! Switching his test papers, interfering with his practical exercises, giving him blunted weapons during the accuracy exams! I made sure he failed every-single-time!" Mizuki howled in delight.

"No, no that's impossible! I would have noticed! I..." Iruka stuttered.

"You did NOTHING! Because you _wanted _him to fail! You delighted in seeing him struggle!" Mizuki pointed accusingly. "You ignored his complaints! You even refused to even let him _take _certain tests! You agreed with me when I degraded him for any make-believe faults I accused him of! You let it all happen right under your nose, because deep down, YOU HATED HIM!"

"NO! That's impossible! When Naruto was complaining, even Hokage-sama took notice! That day that he came to the academy to observe one of Naruto's tests-" Iruka tried to argue, but Mizuki only laughed harder.

"AHHAHAHAH! My best effort of all! Switching the test paper right in front of the Hokage, and even _he _didn't care to say anything! Proof that even the Hokage hates the demon filth, and wanted him to fail!" Mizuki slapped his knee in his mirth as Iruka stared on in horror at the mistakes he had made.

* * *

In his scrying room, Sarutobi had grabbed his crystal ball and was shaking it in rage, as if somehow it would allow him to strangle Mizuki.

"You lying, traitorous bastard! When I get my hands on you, you'll never see the light of day again!" The aged ninja yelled in fury at having been deceived, and the shame of having unjustly doubted Naruto. He slammed the crystal back into the cushion. '_I had no reason to doubt Naruto's teachers. I just took their word, even though there was evidence that something was off. I remember, how surprised I was when I saw that test. I couldn't believe Naruto could do so poorly, when he had seemed so dedicated before then. I can't believe I was so careless._' Sarutobi glared into the crystal at the traitor. '_I **will** fix my mistake._'

* * *

Having gotten over his laughing fit, Mizuki wiped his eyes as he regarded the still stunned Iruka.

"And you know what the absolute damnably funniest part is? If I hadn't interfered that first year, from what I saw of his tests, and his efforts... That damn demon trash would have actually graduated as rookie of the year! IN HIS FIRST YEAR!" Mizuki raged. "Even the very thought was abominable! So that's why I decided I would make sure he would NEVER graduate!"

"But why? If you were just making him fail all this time, why do this with the scroll? Why now?" Iruka asked.

"Because I saw how your attitude towards the gaki was changing this past year." Mizuki snarled. "How you began paying more attention to him, getting involved when he pulled his stupid pranks. You even started going to that disgusting ramen stand with him!" Mizuki shuddered in nausea at the thought.

"Hey! Don't insult Ichiraku's! Even Hokage-sama eats there!" Iruka bristled slightly.

"The point is I knew I wouldn't be able to keep him failing any longer! Not for another whole year! I knew that you'd begin watching him too closely, and might discover what I was doing. So I decided to take action, and use him to not only get what I wanted, but to frame him for the crime so I would FINALLY be able to kill the wretched demon!" Mizuki growled with bared teeth, all trace of humor gone.

"Well your out of luck. We've been sitting here, chatting for so long, Naruto will have reported everything to Hokage-sama by now. You'll never get out of the village, traitor." Iruka spat.

"Haven't you been listening!? The Hokage won't believe him! The brat will be arrested, tortured and killed for the crime of stealing the scroll! NO ONE BELIEVES IN HIM!" Mizuki screamed in rage.

"I do." Iruka said simply. Mizuki grabbed his remaining giant shuriken from his back and began spinning it.

"And for that, you'll die here and now! And when I return, maybe that old dusty monkey butt of a Hokage will give me the pleasure of executing the wretched demon!" Mizuki charged at Iruka, who simply remained still, resigned to his fate for his misdeeds.

'_So this is how it ends... I'm sorry... Naruto..._' Iruka thought as his enemy raced towards him with the deadly weapon.

But a sudden blur appeared between them, delivering a knee to Mizuki's face, sending the white haired ninja flying backwards, even as the released shuriken flew off into the woods. After sliding to a stop, Mizuki picked himself up, coughing from the dirt in his face.

"What the hell!? Whoever you are, you're going to regret interfer-... Oh... Oh no... Nonononono-" Mizuki had looked up, and paled. Iruka was also stunned, but was relieved as well.

Standing between the two chunin, dressed in his black battle outfit, was one very seriously pissed-looking Sarutobi.

"Mizuki! Did you really believe you could get away with your actions!?" Sarutobi shouted in fury. "Disrupting the functions of the academy, deceiving you're fellow shinobi, falsifying official documents, attacking a fellow leaf-nin, plotting the theft of classified information, threatening and attacking an innocent child, AND..." Sarutobi paused for a breath as his eyes narrowed, "Just who do you think you were calling an 'old dusty monkey butt'?"

"No... no, it... it was the Kyuubi-brat... it was the demon who stole..." Mizuki tried to appeal to the angered old man, but was overwhelmed with fear. He had been completely confident in dealing with his ex-teaching partner and one hot-tempered runt, but to be faced with an angry Kage-level ninja was beyond his capacity to deal with, physically or mentally.

"Oh yes, thank you for reminding me!" Sarutobi scowled. "On top of it all, you have broken the decree!" At that little revelation, Mizuki knew he was completely and absolutely screwed. So he respectfully pissed himself when he saw Sarutobi make a cross-handsign. "So now, you will face your punishment! Ninja-Art, Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

With a colossal burst of smoke, suddenly the whole area was filled with a thousand Sarutobi's. Mizuki screamed like a little girl, even as Iruka's jaw hung open in speechless overload.

'_Incredible... Hokage-sama is truly the most skilled ninja in all of Konoha!_' Iruka thought in awe. '_And this, one of his most renowned jutsu, used to such a magnitude the likes of which only he could perform!_' Iruka could only watch in a daze.

"Now Mizuki, any last words?" The mass of Sarutobi's asked as they began cracking their knuckles.

"WWHHAAAAAAAAA!" Mizuki wailed. Well, it didn't really count as a word...

POW-BAM-SOK-CLOBBER-WHAP-THOK-BASH-KICK-WHAM

After several minutes of beating, Mizuki lay in a heap, looking like something that even a vulture would turn it's beak up at. The mass of extra Sarutobi's vanished in smoke, as the remaining one walked over to stand in front of Iruka. But he still had a frown on his face, making Iruka swallow a nervous lump.

"Hokage-sama, is Naruto alright? It wasn't his fault! Mizuki tricked him-" Iruka was cut off when Sarutobi held up a halting hand. The old ninja slowly squatted down in front of the nervous chunin.

"Iruka. I'm very disappointed in you." The Hokage shook his head slowly. Iruka lowered his head shamefully. "To think, after three whole years, you can't even tell the difference between your Hokage-" A poof of smoke revealed a super-smiling Naruto, "-And your own student!" He laughed.

As if he hadn't been shocked and surprised enough that night, Iruka's eyes nearly popped out of his head seeing his student in front of him.

"N-N-Naruto? But... that... you... it..." Iruka sputtered, looking back and forth between Naruto and Mizuki. '_But if this is Naruto, then that means that **he **created those shadow clones, **while **using Transformation! It's unbelievable! The Shadow Clone Jutsu is extremely advanced! And yet he mastered it in only a few hours! To think, he says he wants to surpass the Hokages, and now... I'm starting to believe he will actually succeed!_' Iruka smirked.

"Um, Iruka-sensei? Are you alright?" Naruto asked, tilting his head slightly. Glancing up at the slowly brightening sky of the morning, Iruka only chuckled as he slowly pulled himself up to stand.

"Naruto, close your eyes for a minute. I have a special present to give to you." Iruka smiled. Naruto was about to object, but was cut off.

"**It's ok Naru-kun. It's over. I think things will be alright now.**" Kyaena purred happily.

Naruto shrugged and closed his eyes...

* * *

A number of the ninja that had been searching all over the village had re-gathered in front of the Hokage tower to report their findings, or lack thereof.

"Did you find him?"

"There's no sign of him anywhere!"

"He could be miles away by now!"

"That lousy trouble making brat!"

"This is awful!"

They were so involved, they didn't notice Sarutobi walk out of the gate until he spoke.

"Everything is alright now!" Sarutobi called above the ruckus, causing everyone to whip around to pay attention. "There's no need to worry. The scroll is safe, and Naruto will be back shortly." The old Hokage puffed on his pipe happily as he turned around and walked back inside.

The various ninja blinked in surprise as they glanced at each other, not daring to contradict their leader, but still wary of the likelihood of the statement.

* * *

"Sensei, how much longer?" Naruto asked, waiting.

"Ok, you can open your eyes now!" Iruka said.

Naruto slowly did so, blinking slightly in the light as the sun rose over the horizon, illuminating the two ninja. Naruto's eyes focused, and he noticed that Iruka was holding his goggles.

'_What the...? But I still feel them on my..._' Naruto wondered as his hand reached up to find the cool touch of metal. It was then that Naruto noticed that Iruka was missing his Hitai-ate. His eyes widened in shock.

"Congratulations... You graduate!" Iruka smiled.

"**Wow. He's pretty smooth to have pulled that switch.**" Kyaena snickered.

"And in celebration, I'm going to treat you to ramen tonight!" Iruka stated, like it was a big surprise. But he blinked in confusion when Naruto didn't say anything. After a moment, Naruto slowly sank to his knees, his head dipped. "Naruto? Naruto, are you alright?" Iruka immediately asked in concern. '_Damn! I should have guessed! Creating that many shadow clones must've completely drained his chakra!_' Iruka thought, but was confused as Naruto didn't seem unconscious, and in fact, had started to tremble.

"I... ... I did it... ... I did it..." Naruto whispered. Before Iruka could ask, Naruto nearly drove his face into the ground as he began bowing franticly to the still-injured chunin. "Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you..." Naruto choked out. Wincing in pain from his injuries, and thoroughly confused, Iruka didn't know what to think.

"Uh, Naruto, I know you love ramen, but-" Iruka started to say.

"Thank you... ...for... believing in me..." Naruto sobbed into the dirt. Iruka immediately relaxed, putting his hands on Naruto's shoulders.

'_Great Kami... How could I ever have thought... What he must have gone through..._' Iruka gently pulled Naruto up a bit, expecting to see tears on his face, but was shocked the worst yet of the night. Although Naruto's eyes held a new respect and overwhelming gratitude, they were completely dry. Even Iruka knew that was not normal. '_I was going to lecture him about life as a ninja, how things will only get harder, but I don't think this is the time. I'll talk to him later, over ramen, after I get him, and myself, checked out at the hospital. Besides, I wouldn't want to ruin the moment._' Iruka smiled.

Inside Naruto, Kyaena sighed to herself.

'_**Oh well. So much for my hope of getting Naru-kun out of this cursed village.**_' She thought regretfully.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER

* * *

Authors Notes:

Ok, here it is. The first 'chapter'. I realize that even this is a bit long, but it's actually as short as I could manage and still have it flow smoothly. There is more to what's happening at the end, but I decided it could be it's own chapter. So that will be next.

It's an interesting challenge to try to follow canon while at the same time altering it to fit my own ideas. I know that there will be times (probably lots of times) where it seems I'm not following my own path of reasoning. That what I'm writing will make no sense. But since I'm basing this story off the foundation of canon, and canon often makes no sense itself, I think I'm actually doing an OK job, because at least what I write that doesn't make sense, doesn't make sense intentionally.

I know it may seem like all I'm doing is copying canon, but I assure you, there will be differences. It's just that the parts that I will change significantly will be here and there. I have planned out a significant majority of the whole series, but admittedly, some parts more than others. This chapter is only a small example of how I will be writing. I hope you can see the subtle differences as well as the major ones. Plus I included a few more foreshadowing hints in this chapter, like the prologue. I will be doing that a lot. Because I hope that doing so will get you thinking, and interested in continuing to read this story.

I must say, I'm a little disappointed. A 37k+ prologue, but only 300 or so hits, about 2 or 3 dozen alerts, and less than a dozen reviews? I thought I made it more interesting than that. Maybe it's because I only rated the story T at the moment, or maybe because the genre is adventure/friendship. But I hope word will spread as I post more chapters.

As to the reviews I've received so far:

**King of Darkness**: I can understand that long chapters can get tedious. But to me, chapters that are too short can be every bit as annoying. Because you want to know what happens next. Long chapters may take longer to post, but at least you should feel satisfied with getting a sufficient amount to hold you over until the next chapter.

**Lloyd Neruameshi**: Far too soon for pairings. The story is under the Naru/Kyuubi category because of how their friendship will affect Naruto's life.

**Darksnider05**: Naruto's loyalty to the village and the villagers didn't make sense in canon, so I realize it won't make much sense in my story... yet. You've only read the prologue, please give it a chance. And as to the Sakura and Sasuke parts, well, in a small way I agree, but there are still matters to address, and keep in mind that I skipped Naruto's whole third year at the academy, the year he spent with the two, for a good reason. I'll be referring back to that year in later parts. But since Naruto is still going to wind up stuck with them, I hope to make it more interesting. Over all, it will be a very complicated matter. I just hope you'll wait it out.

Thank you all for your time.

* * *

This chapter edited:

5-17-2013


	3. SOTS,1,01,02

(AN: For disclaimer, see my profile, and also, help me with my goal to have it possible for submissions to display colored text!)

* * *

**SOTS-1-01-02**

**Soul of the Seal - Story 1 - Arc 1 - Chapter 2**

**Chapter 2 - "Setting the Record Straight, One Headache at a Time"**

* * *

"Well, I guess we'd better get back, huh?" Naruto smiled at his teacher.

"Ah, yes. I should be able to make it." Iruka said, stretching a bit to test his injuries. They still hurt like the dickens, but weren't nearly as bad as one might have thought. His chunin vest had protected him from the potentially life threatening injuries, so it was mainly his legs that were in the worst shape.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Naruto asked. When Iruka laughed, Naruto shook his head. "I'm serious. Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto made the quick handsign, and three other Narutos poofed into existence. While two went over to unceremoniously pick up the still unconscious Mizuki, one went into the bushes quickly, and returned to toss the giant scroll to the original Naruto, who secured it to his back. Then he and the other moved to allow Iruka to lean on them, but there was a... small... problem.

"**Perhaps now that you've graduated, the first new jutsu we should look into is one to make you taller.**" Kyaena was holding her paws over her nose to try to keep herself from laughing out of control.

'_Shut up! I have at least two more growth spurts to go through in my life, thank you very much!_' Naruto growled inwardly, as he and his double awkwardly tried to find a comfortable position for Iruka.

"I don't think this is going to work, Naruto." Iruka chuckled again. "It's ok, I think I can manage. Come on. I'm sure everyone's worried." He started off, with two Narutos walking next to him should he stumble, while the other two followed behind with Mizuki.

It was obvious that the Naruto's were sorely tempted to just let the traitor drag along, but he was already badly beaten, and Naruto didn't want him dieing... yet. After all, it's worse punishment for a traitor to have to live with the humiliation of being beaten.

"Worried about the scroll you mean." The original Naruto (with the scroll) sighed.

"Naruto, I'm curious. Why did you use Transformation to look like Hokage-sama when you attacked Mizuki?" Iruka asked, to change the subject.

"Psychological advantage." Naruto replied. When Iruka's confused look asked for clarification, Naruto continued. "It was obvious that the teme didn't have any problem with fighting you or me, that is to say, he didn't fear us. But I figured he wouldn't be so confident if he thought he was fighting the old man." Naruto glanced back at the traitor. "Peh. He was so scared, he didn't even _try _to fight back." When Naruto saw Iruka's astonished face, he shrugged. "I _was _paying attention in class... Even if you didn't think I was." He smiled weakly. Iruka smiled a tight smile in return.

'_Even though he wants to forgive me, he'll never really forget._' Iruka thought sadly to himself. '_I __just hope he never finds out I was lying about the graduation test..._'

The two (or technically five, plus one dead-weight) of them walked on for a while in silence, with Iruka occasionally limping a bit. But Kyaena decided to have a bit more fun.

"**How about you try carrying him on your shoulders? Oh no wait, his feet would still touch the ground!**" Kyaena laughed, rolling around in her pillows in the cage.

'_I'M NOT THAT SHORT!_' Naruto mentally shouted, letting out a small cough-aborted growl at his minor headache. Iruka glanced at him.

"So, Naruto. Why the Shadow Clone Jutsu?" Iruka asked, hoping to keep Naruto calm until they had gotten back to talk to the Hokage.

"Well, considering how much... err... difficulty... the regular Clone Jutsu gave me, I figured it would be best to learn a better equivalent to fill that gap in my abilities." He said. But before Iruka could nod in acceptance of the explanation, Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Plus... It was the first jutsu on the scroll." He admitted sheepishly. Iruka chuckled at the obviousness of the answer.

After a few more minutes, they finally reached the edge of the woods and the village proper. But even as they stepped out onto the well-worn paths, a group of ninja jumped out of the surroundings to land in front of the ragged bunch. A few of them gasped at the four Narutos, and the injuries of Iruka and the still unconscious Mizuki.

"Everyone be careful! The monster has hostages!" A ninja with an eyepatch shouted to the others who yanked out various weapons.

"WILL YOU ALL JUST KNOCK IT OFF!?" Iruka instantly shouted in his 'yell at the class' voice, making the group give a start. Naruto raised an eyebrow as Iruka continued. "Look, I know this seems really bizarre, but Naruto didn't take the scroll on purpose. Well, actually he did, but it was an accident. Mizuki tricked him. But everything is alright now. We're heading to see Hokage-sama." Iruka explained.

The group cast looks at each other for a moment in consideration, before eye-patch spoke again.

"Sorry Iruka, but it doesn't matter whether it was an accident or not. The brat has shown he is capable, and willing, to commit a major crime. We can't risk things getting any more out of hand. And look at yourself! You try to stop the twerp, and he's willing to do that to you and Mizuki!?" Eye-patch barked. Iruka shook his head.

"Mizuki is a traitor. He tricked Naruto, then attacked me. He's the reason I'm cut up. But Naruto saved me. If you guys want to get Mizuki to the hospital under guard, I'm going to take Naruto to Hokage-sama before heading over there ourselves." Iruka said, motioning Naruto to follow as he moved to walk on. But Eye-patch moved in front of him.

"No Iruka! We can't let him get away with it this time! Step away. And then we can lament over the 'accident' we had while trying to retrieve him." Eye-patch said while glaring at Naruto. But he and the others in his group blinked in surprise when Iruka yanked out a pair of kunai.

"Not. A. Chance. In. Hell." Iruka spat. "I told you, Naruto saved me, and he is willingly returning the scroll he 'borrowed'. You've got a lousy sense of gratitude."

"Gratitude!? To that filthy de-" Eye-patch was cut off mid sentence.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu, Arm!" Came a shout as a massive arm and hand, easily six feet wide, swept through the group, sending them all toppling into a heap against a wall. Even as they tried to disentangle themselves, Chouza quickly moved from his position to stand next to, and support, Iruka. "I'll say again, I believe that Hokage-sama's orders were to return Naruto unharmed. And I'd doubt that you'd like to explain the little stunt you just tried to pull, implying that you would attack fellow leaf-nin." Chouza announced in a loud hearty voice.

"What!? We have no intention of attacking Iruka!" Eye-patch shouted as he leapt back to his feet.

"Actually, he wasn't the leaf-nin I was referring to." Chouza said seriously as he pointed to the Narutos, or more specifically, their heads.

"Wh-what? What the hell!?" Eye-patch and the others blinked, now noticing the Hitai-ate that adorned the blonds.

"Oh yes! I forgot to mention the good news!" Iruka smiled. "Naruto has graduated from the academy!"

There were murmurs amongst the group at this development. Even a freshly graduated genin _was _still technically a fellow ninja. The punishment they would face over that would be extreme.

"I will help you to Hokage-sama." Chouza said, taking one of Iruka's arms. The other clone of Naruto went to the two carrying Mizuki. Naruto noticed that Chouza was actually a little _tall _for Iruka to lean on properly.

"So unfair..." Naruto mumbled, as Kyaena laughed.

They moved past the still wary group of ninja, then quickly made their way to the Hokage tower, where Sarutobi was waiting out front for them, along with four ANBU and the pair of Sarutobi's usual assistants. Naruto tensed when he saw the ANBU, but they simply took Mizuki and vanished, allowing Naruto to dispel his clones. Naruto stepped forward sheepishly, pulling the large scroll from his back.

"Err.. Sorry about this Old-Man... I-" Naruto mumbled, but stopped when Sarutobi put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's alright Naruto. I know you didn't mean any harm, and are not to blame." The Hokage smiled.

"Well... I'm the one who believed that bastard Mizuki, despite certain objections and-" Naruto stopped when his stomach grumbled loudly. When everyone looked at him in amusement, he jutted his chin. "Hey, I've been up all night, and haven't had breakfast. So sue me."

"Well then, perhaps we should talk after you two are treated at the hospital, and have had a chance to eat." Sarutobi chuckled.

"I don't need to go to the hospital." Naruto said as he looked at his sensei.

"Please, just humor us this time Naruto?" Iruka asked. Naruto raised an eyebrow as he looked him up and down.

"Uh, no offense, but Mizuki never touched me. You're the one cut up, and incidentally, as you're standing here talking, you're risking infection." Naruto commented.

"Come along Naruto. Check up first, breakfast after." Sarutobi smirked as he took the scroll from Naruto, handing it to his assistants, who quickly took it into the Hokage tower.

"Hokage-sama, we should actually try to make this quick, because we'll need the afternoon to test Naruto." Iruka said suddenly. Naruto whipped around on him.

"What!? Another test!?" He demanded.

"**Calm down Naru-kun. I think it's something else.**" Kyaena shook her head.

"Ah, I understand Iruka. Don't worry Naruto, it's nothing bad." Sarutobi motioned for Naruto to calm himself.

"Well, what is it then? You're not about to take back my graduation are you?" Naruto asked in slight anger, his hand going up to his... that is, Iruka's, Hitai-ate. '_Although, I'm sure he'll want this back. I better be given a new one._' He realized.

"No, don't worry Naruto, you've graduated. That's a definite. But since Mizuki had been interfering with your tests, we have to test you one more time so we can see what your real abilities are." Iruka explained, and laughed at Naruto's dumbfounded expression. "What? Did you really think we'd just say 'good luck' and send you on your way?"

"So, this is just to have accurate records?" Naruto asked slowly, as the others nodded. Well, except for Chouza. "So that means... I'll finally be able to show my real abilities!? No interference!?" Naruto's face lit up with excitement. "Well what are we waiting for!? Let's get Iruka-sensei patched up already!" Naruto was practically bouncing up and down.

"He doesn't seem hurt to me." Chouza commented lightly, getting a laugh from the others as they headed off.

As they were walking, Naruto was ecstatic.

'_Alright! I'm going to be able to show them what I can really do!_' He thought gleefully.

"**Right! Which means no holding back and NO messing around!**" Kyaena, despite being genuinely happy for her friend, knew that it was important to have this go right. "**You goof off on this and I'll make sure you have indigestion whenever you eat ramen for the rest of your life! You've got to do this seriously at your absolute best!**" She slapped her tails down sternly.

'_Right! Now, lets see, I'll need some shuriken and kunai, maybe some wire though it's unlikely... I'll have to ask Iruka-sensei what else I'll need..._' Naruto and Kyaena began going through a list of preparations.

Sarutobi, Iruka, Chouza and Naruto all made their way to the hospital. They walked up to the front desk where Sarutobi gave instructions for the treatment of Iruka, and a quick exam for Naruto. Iruka was immediately taken by a pair of medics, and Chouza left after a bow to the Hokage. But as minutes passed an no one came to take Naruto, Sarutobi got impatient, and gave a new order to the receptionist, who blanched as they sent a message. A few minutes after that, a woman medic came into the waiting area, and nodded to the Hokage.

"Ah, finally. Naruto, you can go with this medic now. It's alright, she's one of the ANBU medics that is among my direct subordinates. You'll be safe with her." Sarutobi explained, fingering his empty pipe. He wasn't so insensitive as to be smoking in the hospital.

Naruto looked at the woman while trying to ignore his tingling whiskers. She was about 5'10", wearing tight dark blue, almost black, long-sleeved skinshirt with matching nonslacks. A strange vest was open loosely on her, a vest similar to other ANBU Naruto had seen before, but it wasn't as thick/bulky, and seemed to have several more pockets and pouches than normal. She had a fair sized ninja kit attached to her belt on her right hip. A long white doctors coat was over top of it all. She had dark sapphire blue hair that barely touched her shoulders, and her eyes were an unusual bright gold. Looking to be about betweem 22 and 26 or so, she was as pleasantly physically fit as one would expect from an exquisitely trained kunoichi. That is to say, she had a blazing hot muscled body with a rack that would be shameful to hide behind her vest. Not that it really mattered to Naruto.

"Can't say I've seen your kind of eyes before." Naruto commented, looking her up and down.

"Can't say I've seen your kind of eyes before either." The woman replied, looking Naruto over. "Nor can I recall the last time a guy had the guts to eye me like you just did." She raised an eyebrow as Naruto frowned at her insinuation.

"Now now, I really think it would be best if the two of you try to get along. Naruto, when you and Iruka are done, I'll be expecting you back at the academy." Sarutobi waved to the boy, and gave a last nod to the woman before leaving, trying to ignore his growing headache.

"Well then, come along." The woman motioned as she turned to lead Naruto away. He considered just running off...

"**No Naru-kun. Just get this over with quickly, then you can go get ready for your evaluation.**" Kyaena ordered. Naruto just sighed at the pointlessness of it as he followed the medic woman, but kept a hand near his shuriken holster. Just in case.

She lead him to a standard exam room, shutting the door behind them as she had him hop up on a medbed. Naruto took off his orange jacket, and just waited. The woman checked him over, but he was more dirty than scraped up.

"Let me guess, you don't have a name, do you?" Naruto asked idly. The woman paused as she glanced into his eyes.

"If you need something to call me... you can call me Tetsuko." She replied as she resumed her examination. She put her hands together for a moment, and her right hand became enveloped in a green glow. She placed her hand on Naruto's chest.

"**Does she really expect you to believe that's her real name?**" Kyaena snorted, both her eye and tails twitching slightly.

'_Interesting question._' Naruto thought as he tilted his head. "So... How come you aren't wearing a mask like other ANBU I've seen?" Naruto asked.

"You have a fever." Tetsuko said, acting like she hadn't heard him.

"That's impossible. You know, the only other ANBU that ever had anything to do with me specifically, also didn't wear a mask. And yet any other I've ever seen in the village, they _always _wear masks. I find that a bit strange. Care to comment?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You're entire body temperature is elevated. You have a fever of 100 degrees. But I can't find any sign of infection or disease." Tetsuko shifted her hand around his chest slightly as she concentrated intently. But when her hand started to slide down to his stomach, he grabbed her wrist.

"Do you have something against talking like a normal person? And incidentally, I'm fairly sure that the 100 degree temperature is normal for me... for whatever reason." Naruto commented, trying to prevent his mouth from twitching.

Tetsuko stared at Naruto's hand holding her wrist, until he cleared his throat and released her. She looked up into his eyes again.

"I don't have anything against conversation. It's just that I have a duty to perform, and Hokage-sama would most likely be... irked... if I don't do the most thorough job I can. Would you really want me to be reprimanded just because you were a bit impatient?" She asked. Naruto just snorted as he stared her back in the eye. "So, how can you be sure that the 100 degree temperature is normal for you?" She resumed, allowing her glowing hand to remain on his stomach for just a moment before bringing it back up to over his heart, then up to his neck.

"Simple. I've never been sick for even so much as an hour in my entire life. I feel as normal now as I always do." Naruto shrugged, both from his comment, and the slightly unnerving sensation of Tetsuko's hand on the back of his neck. He wasn't used to people touching him without trying to kill him. "And strangely, I've never really been affected by whether it's hot or cold out side. There have been times during the hot seasons that I've seen people practically melting, even in the shade, and yet I feel completely comfortable."

Tetsuko paused to blink at him.

"Who ever said to 'not sweat the small stuff', obviously never met you. Most ANBU dread the hot season. We're not usually dressed for the weather." She shook her head in disbelief, as her hand moved up to Naruto's head, having to shift the Hitai-ate down around his neck. "So Mizuki-"

"-Jerk!" Naruto coughed. Tetsuko raised an eyebrow.

"So Mizuki-" She started to say.

"-Jerk!" Naruto coughed again. She gave him a hard look, but Naruto just blinked innocently, while Kyaena was trying not to laugh since it would disrupt Naruto's concentration.

"So Mizuki _the jerk_," Tetsuko said, pausing to look at Naruto, who just took an interest in the ceiling. "So he never actually hit you?"

"Nope. He was to busy pissing himself when he thought Old-Man-Hokage was the one beating the crap out of him." Naruto smirked.

"Ah, the psychological advantage." She agreed with a nod.

For the remaining minutes of the exam, Naruto just gave an edited recant of his night adventure. There was an odd moment when she gasped, but refused to say anything when Naruto asked what it was about. When Tetsuko was finished, she was forced to agree that Naruto's temperature was normal... for him anyway. She led him back out into the waiting area.

"You're ridiculously healthy, Naruto." Tetsuko shook her head in disbelief, as they were waiting for Iruka to show up. "Frankly, I don't know why you're still such a-"

"Say runt or midget and you'll be experiencing the Mizuki smackdown action replay in live color of black and blue and red all over!" Naruto growled in warning.

"... I see." Tetsuko remarked after a moment. "One more question, Naruto. A little while ago, when you first saw me, what was really going through your mind when you looked me over? I know it wasn't anything perverted as I implied before. So what was it?" She asked, looking at him seriously.

Naruto suddenly found himself slightly fidgety.

"Does it really matter?" Naruto muttered, not looking at her. '_What does she expect? All I can see is another potential killer who is old enough to have a grudge against you._'

"**I don't think it's a good idea to talk about those kinds of things. I smell a lead-on.**" Kyaena warned.

"I'm just curious. Your eyes seemed to be considerably older than they should be." Tetsuko shrugged.

"I wouldn't know." Naruto said, crossing his arms and closing his eyes.

"So you're not going to tell me?" Tetsuko asked. But Naruto remained silent. She sighed as they waited.

It was about another twenty minutes before a slightly bandaged-up Iruka made his appearance. He paused as he looked at the pair, noting the very unusual silence. Iruka was about to question why Naruto was being so quiet, until he realized that he wasn't really in a position to question a boy that he didn't know as well as he once thought.

"So Naruto, did you get checked out ok?" Iruka asked as he walked up to him. Naruto's eyes snapped open.

"Of course! I told you I was fine!" Naruto huffed impatiently. Iruka smiled at the same old Naruto and turned to Tetsuko.

"No problems?" The chewed-up chunin checked.

"Except for having an out-of-the-ordinary body temperature, he's fine." She nodded.

"What do you mean?" Iruka's brow tensed in instant concern.

"Look, it's nothing! Come on, we've got to go get breakfast then head over to the academy! The old man said he'd be expecting us!" Naruto yanked on Iruka's hand, dragging the protesting teacher out of the hospital.

Tetsuko watched the odd friends exit the hospital. A very small smirk curved her lips slightly before she turned and set about to continue the next part of her duties, pulling out and donning a smooth white mask that had blue flames on the right side edge, and red flames on the left side edge. The only other feature than the narrow eye slits was the etched leaf symbol up in the forehead area. Tetsuko removed the white doctors coat, hanging it up next to others on a rack before rushing out of the hospital herself, needing to get to her destination before the other two.

* * *

Sarutobi was directing a few of the academy hands in setting up the area where Naruto would be tested. Contentedly smoking his pipe, he didn't even bother turning when the ANBU appeared to kneel beside him.

"To my knowledge, this was the first time Naruto had ever been to the hospital, or had ever let anyone check on him. I hope you were thorough." Sarutobi commented.

"I did the best I could without raising suspicion." Tetsuko answered. "Over all, he is exceptionally healthy, despite his seeming obsession with ramen."

"It's not that unhealthy a food." Sarutobi coughed slightly, knowing his own weakness for the stuff.

"There were three things, however. The first and most obvious, is a strange fact that his normal body temperature seems to be set at 100 degrees even. I can only assume it's because of his unique nature." Tetsuko explained.

"Does it pose any danger to him? Any potential long term problems?" Sarutobi asked.

"If anything, I believe the opposite. He says he's never been sick at all, and is virtually unaffected by external day-to-day temperature. It seems that his enormous chakra levels keep him in near perfect health." Tetsuko tilted her head slightly. "And when I say enormous, I _mean _enormous! He was just sitting still, and I would still say he has at _least _a hundred times the chakra that I have, most likely a lot more."

"Ah! Ah-ha... Ah, I see." Sarutobi choked slightly on his pipe. He knew Naruto had a lot of potential and had been exercising his chakra for years, but even that estimate seemed ridiculous. But he was putting his trust in Tetsuko for a very good reason. "And the other things?" He asked.

"Well, I think the other two kind of go together. I said he was in _near _perfect health. But there were signs that he has been, and is, under almost constant extreme stress. It was especially obvious when I touched him. His nervous system spiked on it's own, implying he _really _wanted to get away from me." Tetsuko said in a solemn, slightly sad tone.

"Don't take it personally. After a dozen years of abuse, I'm afraid Naruto will have a very hard time allowing anyone that close." Sarutobi sighed. "So what was the last thing?"

"It's something... when I look into his eyes. And the way he talks. I'm not really sure what it is. It's like he double-thinks everything." Tetsuko shifted slightly.

"That's a strange thing to say." Sarutobi finally turned to look at her.

"I request permission to conduct an extensive observation on Naruto." Tetsuko requested... well... officially. Sarutobi considered a few moments before responding.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible right now. Not only is Naruto exceptionally elusive even at the best of times as you well know, there is the point of his graduation. In a few days he'll have his genin orientation and final genin exam. If he passes, his team will begin their active duties, and that would make it virtually impossible for any kind of ongoing investigation. Besides," Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at his subordinate, "You've already done plenty of observations on Naruto. That was the whole point of assigning you as his guard after the Uchiha event. And I can't say I've been at all pleased with the reports you've given in the past, and you've failed to find out anything about Naruto's friend, Kyaena Unaikaji, that he hasn't told me himself." He paused, then sighed. "There are times I begin to wonder if she even exists at all, considering that it seems no one has ever reported seeing her."

"All my reports were as accurate as I could make them, I swear it." Tetsuko declared firmly. "I've tried to find out about her, but you haven't allowed me to stay on watch on Naruto-kun constantly. If I didn't have the other missions to perform, I could get considerably more information. I know I could."

"Naruto doesn't need constant watch, not like he used to. And depending on how things go in the next few weeks... well, at least for the time being, you probably won't be required for anything. But I will be writing an addendum to your file, giving you medical authority in regards to Naruto, so if he winds up in the hospital in the future for any reason, you'll be able to take care of his treatment." Sarutobi gave a puff on his pipe. "I believe that is all for now, and Naruto and Iruka should be along shortly. You're dismissed."

"...Yes, Hokage-sama." Tetsuko said slowly, then turned and dashed away in a less than satisfied mood. Sarutobi turned his attention back to Naruto's evaluation preparations.

'_Well, I guess I can't be to upset with her. After all, she's certainly much more thorough and reliable than Itachi ever was. But hopefully, Naruto won't need protecting for much longer._' The aged ninja thought to himself. '_Hmm. I wonder what's keeping them. I would have expected Naruto to be here already, given how excited he seemed earlier._' He tapped out his spent pipe.

* * *

"Come on Iruka-sensei! Aren't you done yet!? We've got to get to the academy!" Naruto was standing, arms crossed, foot tapping impatiently.

Iruka and Naruto were at a breakfast bar, having gotten there after stopping at Naruto's apartment for him to grab additional ninja gear. Iruka had ordered them a moderate meal, but Iruka had barely touched his when Naruto had already finished his two plates and a pitcher of fruit juice.

"I like to enjoy my breakfast, Naruto. I don't really want to choke and have to go right back to the hospital." Iruka said as he munched on a piece of toast.

"**I have to agree with him! I don't think you chewed even once! I feel like I'M going to have indigestion!**" Kyaena groaned with her ears laid back flat.

"Well, excuse me if I'm just a bit anxious!" Naruto huffed at the both of them.

Naruto waited in fuming silence as Iruka slowly finished his breakfast. He was trying to be patient, but after seven plus years of struggling, sweating, bleeding and all around frustration, he was ready to cross the finish line, as it were. Well, technically he already did, having graduated from the academy, but the way it happened was a bit too hectic for him to have really enjoyed it. Having this evaluation was something much more substantial for him. Real recognition. He wished it had happened earlier, when he could have shown his real skill with the rest of his class, but it was enough to just to finally get Iruka and Sarutobi off their butts. He could savor the moment this time, compared to the sudden shock of what had gone on with Mizuki. Heck, he didn't even fully realize what had happened until Iruka had presented him with his Hitai-ate.

Naruto reached up to touch the metal. It wasn't his quite yet. Or rather, he'd have his own once they got back to the academy. And there was another thing. When they had entered the restaurant, people had done double takes at him. Their eyes were drawn to his head. It seemed they didn't like the fact he was wearing the Hitai-ate. He knew they had to get used to it, but he figured he should at least wait for his own. He pulled the band from his head with a sigh and set it next to Iruka, causing the chunin to pause with a mouthful of scrambled egg to look at him.

"Whmmph armm ynn dnninn?" He asked. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"If you're asking what I'm doing, I just figured you can have yours back, and I'll just get my own when we get to the academy." Naruto shrugged.

Iruka stared at the boy a moment, and before Naruto could blink, the Hitai-ate was back on his head.

"Naruto, you've graduated, and I'm not about to let anyone think otherwise. You keep wearing that, and I'll get a replacement later." Iruka stated firmly.

"But... This is yours. As in, yours-yours. Surely you would want to keep it?" Naruto asked with a frown. Iruka gave a slightly surprised look before waving him off.

"Oh, I see. You don't have to worry, Naruto. That's not the same Hitai-ate that I graduated with. Every once in a while, those things get damaged, or lost, or whatever. It's normal." Iruka shrugged.

"Oh." Naruto slumped ever so slightly. It would have been interesting if it had been Iruka's original Hitai-ate, but not everything in one's life had to have some deep, permanent meaning. But still, he decided he would try to keep it as long as he could.

After a few more minutes, Iruka had finished his meal, and the two headed for the academy. Naruto kept patting at his ninja kit and his kunai holster in a slightly nervous manner, getting a chuckle or two from Iruka. They walked through the academy grounds and were directed to the training field where Sarutobi was waiting, sitting in a chair at a table that had been set up. A second, empty chair, was presumably for Iruka.

Even as they approached, Naruto glanced across the field at what was set up. Numerous target dummies, sparring dummies, some poles, and all the other usual materials that occupied the field for use by the academy students.

"Ah, Iruka, Naruto. I see you've been bandaged up. Everything's alright then?" Sarutobi asked as he was in the process of filling his pipe.

"Yes, we're fine. Got some breakfast and stopped by Naruto's apartment for his gear before coming over." Iruka sat in the chair next to the Hokage.

"Right! So what's first?" Naruto asked eagerly. Sarutobi couldn't help but chuckle.

'_Just a few hours ago, he was in a fight for his life with a traitor, and yet now, all he can think about is getting on with his ninja career._' Sarutobi mused as he lit his pipe. "Alright Naruto. We'll have your practical tests first, then lunch, then a cumulative academy comprehension test after that." Sarutobi waited for Naruto to nod in understanding, then addressed the field. "Now, to start with shuriken and kunai accuracy. Those four target dummies there, the red target spots-"

Whoosh-ThunkThunkThunkThunkThunkThunkThunkThunkThu nkThunkThunkThunkThunkThunkThunkThunk!

"Alright, what next?" Naruto smiled cheerfully.

Sarutobi nearly fumbled his pipe and Iruka was blinking with a dropped jaw. Every last one of the target spots now sported a shiny shuriken squarely in the centers. And each of the four dummies had a kunai lodged deep in the spot that would have been, on a real person, the crotch. The two watching judges gulped slightly as they shifted in their seats.

"Ah, um, yes. Ok, very good Naruto" Sarutobi puffed as he cleared his throat slightly. Iruka got out of his seat to go over and examine the dummies.

'_Holy... He hit every target dead-center. And it looked like he barely even tried!_' Iruka thought as he pulled the shuriken out, and, with some awkwardness, quickly yanked out the offending kunai as well before walking back over and handing the weapons to Naruto. "Ok Naruto, now do that twice more please. It's just for averaging's sake." Iruka instructed. Naruto sighed as he threw the weapons twice again, though omitting the kunai to the crotch, and achieved the same bulls-eye results.

Through the hours of the morning, Naruto was tested on every academy standard requirement. Various equipment use, like ninja wire and explosive tags, to the basic jutsu use, like demonstrating efficiency of the Substitution Jutsu. Though, once again, a minor argument arose over the jutsu type of Transformation and the Clone Jutsu, which one was ninjutsu or genjutsu. Naruto thought they had it backwards, the other two couldn't understand why Naruto thought of them the way he did. Naruto was in the middle of trying to prove his point when the two older ninja suddenly told him to stop and move on with the exam. Naruto was slightly confused by their sudden change in attitude, but decided he was wasting time with the argument and should just get on with things. So, as the last of the practicals came to a close, they watched Naruto's taijutsu. And though Naruto had breezed through everything else without problem, despite his speed and strength, his actual style form efficiency wasn't as good as he wanted. But he was hardly to blame, since Kyaena wasn't exactly capable of helping much, with only limited verbal instruction on the basics that she knew, and no one else had ever even offered to try to help him. The pinnacle of it all was, however, what taijutsu he did have was good enough in a pinch to get him next to an opponent to use his chakra strength. When he demonstrated it by lifting a boulder ten times his size over his head, then shattering it like etched glass, the looks on his sensei's faces were priceless. Walking past the debris of the boulder and the demolished sparring dummies, he stood in front of his elders.

"So, I think that about covers all the practical subjects, right?" Naruto smirked, not even winded. Sarutobi and Iruka, who had been scribbling notes like crazy, looked at Naruto.

"Naruto, why is it you've never shown that ability before? I would've thought you'd use it all the time." Iruka asked in a confused and concerned tone.

"What, you mean my chakra strength?" Naruto raised an eyebrow in question, to which, Iruka nodded. Naruto shrugged. "When Kyaena-chan taught it to me, we agreed I should save it as a surprise ace in battle. You know, let the enemy get over confident, underestimate me, come in close to finish me, and CRRRIK!" Naruto made a wrenching motion with his hands. "Bye-bye spinal column. Oh, and by the way, I did show it once before. IN MY FIRST YEAR." Naruto snapped at Iruka. "As I recall, I was forbidden from using it as I 'was a danger to the other students'!" Naruto glared pointedly at them. "I hope you can understand my desire to keep that ability quiet up til now, since I doubted many people would be very happy to find out I could level a building with my bare hands."

Iruka nodded numbly as he remembered in embarrassment, but he and Naruto started when Sarutobi began chuckling, then laughing, then out-right guffawing. The two younger ninja blinked in confusion as Sarutobi's fit lasted a good minute before he got control of himself, wiping his eyes a bit.

"Sorry about that. Just got caught up in a few old memories of another stubborn destructive blonde I knew once upon a time." He coughed slightly to catch his breath, earning another glare from Naruto, but Naruto blinked when he felt a slight tension in his gut.

'_Kya-chan? Is something wrong?_' Naruto asked inwardly. Kyaena shifted around slightly in her nest of pillows. She had been keeping quiet to allow Naruto to concentrate on his exam.

"**No, not really. Just trying to make sure I'm following everything that's going on. I still don't understand what was bothering them about your Transformation Jutsu.**" Kyaena let out a long yawn. Academy stuff was pretty boring after all, considering Naruto had gone though it for three repeated years.

'_Yeah, kinda weird. I changed into the Old-Man, but when he came over and poked me in the shoulder, he and Iruka-sensei suddenly got strange looks on their faces, then they insisted that we move on. I don't get it._' Naruto scratched his head a bit, re-focusing on his two judges.

Sarutobi looked to the side to the large clock on the outer wall of the academy.

"Ok Naruto, you can go get some lunch, then come back for the written exam." Sarutobi motioned for the boy to be on his way.

"Just come to the classroom like normal when you get back. I'll have the test ready for you." Iruka stated. Naruto nodded, but then slowly leaned forward, peering at the papers on the table with his hands behind his back. The two seated men immediately noticed and franticly gathered up the papers, hiding them from view.

"Soooooo... How'm I doin so far?" Naruto asked all too innocently as he slowly straightened back up.

"Oh, fine Naruto! You're doing just fine!" Iruka smiled as he pulled a loose paper back under his arms. Naruto frowned.

"_Just _fine? I know I'm not rookie of the year or anything, but surely I've got a bit of efficiency that would stand out." His frown tightened into thin lips. "Or do you really hold my minimalistic genjutsu abilities against me _that _much? I mean come on! It's my countering ability that matters! I broke all but one of them that you threw at me, and even that was only half-!"

"Calm down Naruto." Sarutobi waved the agitated boy down in concern. "You're skills so far really are excellent. You don't have anything to worry about. And you're right, your ability to counter genjutsu is very impressive, despite your slight difficulty in using them. A ninja may need to understand all the basics, but no one is expected to master them all right from the start." Sarutobi gave Naruto a reassuring smile. "You've got a long future ahead of you Naruto. You'll have plenty of time to improve whatever skills you think need polishing."

Naruto stood still for a moment, only his mouth moving and twitching as he considered his Hokage's words.

"**Naru-kun, relax. You'll burn yourself out if you keep kicking yourself over the genjutsu thing. And Jiji's right, you've been working for years to get this far, and you'll have to work for years yet to truly become the strongest of all.**" Kyaena purred to placate her ward, which was a strange concept considering their unique relationship circumstances.

"Alright, fine, ok." Naruto sighed deeply to get himself to relax. "Sorry. I guess I just wanted to know how I compared to my classmates..." Naruto paused as a image of a broody, duck-haired boy flashed in his mind, but he shook it off with a smile. "But then, what does it matter, right? As long as I'm strong enough for the village. But I'll have to master these things eventually, if I plan to fill your shoes, and hat, someday Old-Man!" Naruto chuckled as he went off muttering to himself. "Wonder if the cafeteria has anything decent..."

Sarutobi and Iruka remained in their seats as they watched Naruto head off for lunch. Once he was gone, Iruka promptly slammed his head down on the table.

"Damn it all!" He shouted, giving Sarutobi a start. "What the hell have I done to him!? ... ... ow."

"Iruka-" Sarutobi blinked in shock at the chunin teacher's outburst, and slight carelessness to his own injuries.

"All this time! He's been working himself like crazy and I never realized it!" Iruka grabbed one of the papers in front of himself, shaking it. "Even with his genjutsu handicap, his scores are WAY above the rest of the class! And if he tests even half as well on the written exam...!" Iruka hung his head shamefully while rubbing his forhead slightly. "He should have been rookie of the year, hands down. I can't believe how much I've held him back..."

"It wasn't you Iruka. It was Mizuki. But at least we're finally seeing the real Naruto, and the village will benefit from it. Especially considering..." Sarutobi trailed off in thought as he puffed on his pipe. Iruka's head snapped back up as he remembered.

"His Transformation Jutsu..." Iruka gasped, turning a new, shocked and concerned, look to the Hokage. "That simply couldn't have been possible! I... I thought only summons were capable of that! An ordinary human-"

"Naruto isn't ordinary, despite how much he might sometimes wish he was. The strange thing was that he didn't even seem aware that he was doing anything different. He actually believes that's the way the Transformation Jutsu is supposed to work." Sarutobi puffed on his dwindling pipe as he picked up one of his papers to re-read his own notes.

"So, you think we shouldn't tell him?" Iruka frowned, already disliking the prospect of keeping even more secrets from Naruto.

"I don't see why we would need to." Sarutobi responded casually as he carefully arranged his papers in a neat stack. "He would obviously have trained himself in uses of that jutsu in the way he believes it works."

"But... the potential use... and _power _of what he can do..." Iruka whispered in worry as he gathered his own papers.

"Which is why, as of now, it is a S-class secret between the two of us." Sarutobi stood with his papers tucked under an arm. "Believing that it's normal means Naruto won't think anything of it, and if in the future he realizes just how vast the capability of that ability is, it will most likely just become something unique that Naruto will become renowned for."

"And what happens if others find out about it? They will surely make a big deal about it! I mean, it IS a big deal!" Iruka jumped to his feet, only barely keeping his papers from scattering everywhere. Sarutobi tapped out his now spent pipe while he thought for a moment.

"If Naruto can use the Transformation Jutsu the way he does because of his... tenant, that means he's the only one in the village who could do it. Which means others can't learn or copy it. So there won't be any sudden upset in the balance of power." Sarutobi slowly nodded to himself, believing the situation was well under control.

"But surely Naruto would be in danger! Enemies, or even people in our own ranks that would want to grab Naruto in hopes of-" Iruka blanched.

"Of what? As I said, they couldn't duplicate it themselves. So if they wanted that power, they would have to get Naruto to agree to use it for them, which is not something I see happening." Sarutobi chuckled a little. "Besides, anyone who found out would have to come _after _Naruto, and even I would hesitate at the possibility of having to _fight _him when he has that kind of ability. So as long as we keep quiet for now, by the time the truth does accidentally slip out, Naruto should be more than capable of dealing with it himself... Not to say that I'm just going to do nothing, though." He carefully pocketed his pipe. "I'll have to write up an order in case anyone does try to make unreasonable demands of Naruto after the fact." The old ninja sighed. "... More paperwork..."

"I see." Iruka mumbled, subdued for the time being. "So, I take it you won't be sitting in on Naruto's written exam?" Iruka asked, making a note to be sure to get the table and chairs back inside the academy, as well as assigning some of the not-yet-graduated students to help in the clean up of the training field. Sarutobi laughed heartily at Iruka's question.

"So I would have a choice of returning to the office to _do _paperwork, or hang around Naruto to _watch _paperwork? Ha ha! I think I'll stick with the option that is more productive for myself. You can bring Naruto's completed test to my office after he's done. I'll definitely want to look at it." Sarutobi nodded to Iruka as he went off on his way to attend to his oh-so-favorite duties. ... ... Not.

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Iruka sighed as he watched his leader depart. He scratched the back of his neck. '_These stupid bandages! They're supposed to be non-irritative! Yet they already itch like hell!_' Iruka left the training field to enter the academy, proceeding through the empty halls. The orientation for the graduated students would be in two days, then it would be a few weeks before classes started again for the next year.

Iruka stopped in one of the storage rooms to dig through the file cabinets until he found the test packet he was looking for. He then proceeded to his classroom, setting the packet on his desk as he sat down to wait for Naruto. He opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a new Hitai-ate for himself, as well as a few snack bags and a couple of canned drinks. It was the very reason that Iruka had told Naruto that he liked to enjoy his breakfast. Because he didn't often have time to have a decent lunch during normal teaching days. Even though he probably could've gone to the cafeteria himself to get a bigger meal with Naruto, he wanted the boy to have a chance to gather his thoughts for the written exam. And Iruka needed a bit of a breather himself to make sure he didn't do anything stupid.

* * *

Tetsuko was sitting on the roof of the academy behind the wall that held the large exterior clock. She had watched Naruto's practical exam in stunned silence, and now was just sitting, thinking. Sure, she had seen him in training plenty of times, heck, it often seemed like all he ever did was train, but to see him putting all his skills out at once for evaluation in front of the Hokage had been quite the sight. She may have been dismissed earlier, but since she _was _assigned to watch Naruto, and she didn't have any other standing orders for missions at the moment, she figured she might as well stick around to watch. And she was very glad she did.

'_I can see why Hokage-sama said that he doesn't need as much protection as before. He's quite capable of defending himself now. In pure combat ability, he could take down most of the chunin in the village with little effort._' Tetsuko thought to herself. She pulled out a specific scroll from her vest, opened it, and wrote down some of the notes she had made in her observation. '_And his skill will only increase from here on out. He must be one of the strongest academy graduates the village has seen in a long time._' She paused in her writing to make sure she was putting down all the notes she wanted. '_Having such well-controlled chakra strength, knowing the Shadow Clone Jutsu, an A-ranked forbidden skill, as well as that impossible Transformation Jutsu... It's almost scary to think what kind of things he'll learn in the future. I wish I could see how he does on his written exam, but it's not likely. In fact, there's no telling if I'll be getting directly involved again any time soon._' She finished writing, repacked her scroll, and jumped off the academy roof, heading off. '_It's a real shame I can't have more chance to get to know you, Naruto Uzumaki. You truly are a remarkable person. The village is blessed to have you with us._' Despite herself, an unseen blush touched her cheeks. '_And speaking of, I can't believe he has t-... Whoa! No way!_' She shook her head. '_No thinking like that. It's... unprofessional._' She scolded herself as she hurried on.

* * *

Naruto finished downing the large glass of milk of his meal, then proceeded to quickly throw his small bundle of trash into the wastebasket. The cafeteria had been empty, as there was no classes that day, therefore there was no need of the kitchen staff. So Naruto had just raided one of the refrigerators, getting a few sandwiches, a couple of oranges, and a whole carton of fresh milk. And of course, he had made sure it was fresh from the date on it, having some unpleasant memories of times when carelessness on that point had resulted in painful and humiliating encounters with the bathroom.

As Naruto was heading though the halls to Iruka's classroom, he felt Kyaena stir from the quiet relaxation she had been enjoying.

"**Oh well.**" She yawned, shaking her head to wake herself up. "**That was a nice little nap. But, paperwork waits forever, no matter how much you want to ignore it.**"

'_Eh? What are you talking about?_' Naruto asked curiously as he paused in the hall to take a sip of water from a water fountain.

"**Your written exam. You're going to want help, right?**" Kyaena stretched out her paws, back and tails to their limit before curling back into a comfortable spot.

'_I don't really expect to need it. I mean, what could possibly be on the test that I haven't covered a hundred times before?_' Naruto scoffed as he finally reached the classroom.

Walking through the door, he saw Iruka sitting back in his chair with his feet propped up on his desk. Iruka was reading a book with an orange cover that Naruto didn't recognize. After a minute, when it became obvious that Iruka was too involved in his book to notice his student's arrival, Naruto lightly flicked a shuriken that zipped over and _pinnngged _off Iruka's new Hitai-ate, causing him to yelp as he toppled backwards to the floor with a crash.

"NARUTO! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?" Iruka was instantly back on his feet, momentarily reverting to 'teacher mode'.

"Just determining if that book you were reading was really worth being killed over. You had no idea I was standing here." Naruto frowned crossly as he crossed his arms in crossness at his teacher.

Iruka froze at Naruto's statement before looking down at the orange book on the floor. With speed that Naruto almost couldn't follow, Iruka snatched up the book, threw it into a drawer of his desk, and slammed it closed.

"Ah, right, so, um, the test, yeah, if you'll take a seat..." Iruka motioned vaguely for Naruto to sit while trying to hide his red cheeks... and slightly bloody nose.

Raising an eyebrow at his teacher's strange behavior, Naruto shrugged as he moved to the front row center desk and sat down. A moment later, Iruka slapped a thick pack of papers down in front of him. Naruto paused, then slowly put his face down to the level of the desktop, looking slightly sideways at the material in front of him.

"Uh, Iruka-sensei... What the heck is this?" Naruto asked tentatively. Iruka tried to suppress his smirk, and failed miserably.

"That's your written exam." He snickered.

"Exam? This isn't an exam! This is a continental population census poll!" Naruto whined as he took his pencil and placed it next to the papers, measuring it's height. "There must be a hundred pages here!"

"Sorry Naruto, but it's necessary. There's more to being a ninja than just fighting. And after all, if you _really _want to be Hokage someday..." Iruka trailed off in a teasing tone.

"Yeah, yeah, dumb paperwork..." Naruto grumbled. He looked up at the clock. "How long do I have?"

"There's a lot there, so no time limit, however, I would certainly hope you get done by sundown. Don't forget, I'm treating you to ramen tonight." Iruka smirked as Naruto's face instantly lit up.

"Right! So I better get started!" He twirled his pencil once, then focused on the paper in front of him.

At first, Naruto was startled at how easy the questions were. Sure, he had long since memorized almost every single lesson that he had taken in the academy, but even still, the test seemed almost too simple. However, after the first ten pages, the questions started getting harder. Still easy for Naruto, but he immediately realized how the test was obviously set up. The further along he went, the more difficult the questions got.

Iruka watched with great interest. In less than two hours, Naruto had already hit the half-way mark. One might have thought Iruka would get bored out of his mind, just sitting, waiting for a student to finish a written test. But it was not so. He was watching Naruto's face as he worked through the test, trying to guess what was going on in the young blonde's mind. It was certainly an eye-opener for Iruka, seeing Naruto so quiet, concentrating so hard. Especially since Iruka knew that after the half-way point, Naruto was getting to the questions that weren't normally covered in standard academy classes. It was to see how much Naruto _really _knew. Iruka knew he'd probably get an earful from the Hokage for giving Naruto that particular test, but then, Naruto had been originally registered as an advanced student, so Iruka figured that it was a more appropriate test for him.

It got to the point that Naruto was frowning, almost scowling, as he scratched his head repeatedly in frustration. He had passed the three-quarters mark, and was reaching the end of his patience. The questions had gotten, in Naruto's opinion, ridiculously complex and unrealistic. Like having to calculate multiple shuriken trajectories between two opponents, one on the ground and one in a tree seventy-five feet away and thirty-five feet high. Though Naruto was still (barely) managing to answer them, he found them annoying, and that he was spending too much time on each question. And as his frustration built, his concentration crumbled.

"**Are you sure you don't want my help?**" Kyaena asked at long length, when she sensed that Naruto was about five seconds from shredding the test papers.

'_Grrrr. I'm so close to being done! This is important for me to show my hard work to Iruka-sensei! I don't want to have to resort to cheating now!_' Naruto struggled not to grind his teeth as he glared down at his paper.

"**Cheating? Naru-kun, you idiot. As of today, you're a ninja. There's no such thing as cheating to ninja. You use what skills and resources you possess to accomplish your mission. You think enemies are going to call a time-out in the middle of battle to call you a cheater? It just so happens that you possess a resource that no-one else has. Me. So it's not cheating, because it's not possible to cheat.**" Kyaena explained in a slightly surprised tone, having expected Naruto to realize the fact on his own. "**Besides, you never had a problem with my helping you before.**" She purred playfully.

Naruto straightened up, blinking in surprise.

'_Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. Sorry, it's just-_' He sighed.

"**It's ok, I know. Now let's get this thing done already!**" Kyaena snickered at her friends honorable intentions as he turned his focus back to the paper.

Iruka, who had been watching, was slightly confused by Naruto's actions. He had obviously been having trouble, but then got a surprised look on his face, then seemed to calm down considerably. He also seemed to make better headway on the last few pages of the test. But he was still frowning at them. Iruka once again sighed at the re-realization that he didn't know Naruto at all, and had badly hindered the boy's life with his short-sightedness.

Finally, Naruto came to the last question, and he nearly gagged when he saw what it was. Out of all the brain-busting questions he had struggled through, even some of the last few that had nearly stumped Kyaena, the very last question was ridiculous.

Question #1200: What happened in the battle between the Yondime Hokage and the Kyuubi no Kitsune?

Barely keeping some curses held back, Naruto scribbled in the 'expected' answer, and flipped the test packet closed.

"You finished?" Iruka asked, straightening up in his seat when he saw Naruto stand up.

"Yeah, finally!" Naruto groaned a bit as he went through a few stretches. He picked up the packet and walked over to Iruka.

"So, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Iruka chuckled as he went to take the papers from Naruto, but paused in confusion when Naruto didn't release his hold.

"There were a number of questions that I _know _we never covered in class." Naruto growled lightly. "Were you expecting me to fail this?" His eyes narrowed at his sensei, who waved it off franticly.

"No no! Not at all! This wasn't a pass-fail test, it was just to see what you actually know." Iruka took the packet. "I know it's a little hard to get used to, but you've _graduated_. You don't have to worry about..." Iruka trailed off as his eyes stared off into the distance. Naruto raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm still right here!" Naruto waved a hand in front of the man's face, snapping him back.

"Oh, sorry." Iruka shook his head slightly, then looked up at the clock. "Just about six. Ok, tell you what, I'll meet you at Ichiraku's at eight. I'm going to try to get this test checked over, so you can just relax until-"

"Six? It's six!? I've been sitting here for nearly seven hours!?" Naruto paled in shock. Iruka's face furrowed slightly in worry.

"Hey, it's ok Naruto. Just the fact that you finished in that time is impressive. You can relax and-" Iruka went to put a hand on Naruto's shoulder, only to find the blonde moving away at a frantic pace.

"Can't relax! Bathroom! BathroomBathroomBATHROOM!" Naruto shrieked as he rocketed out of the classroom in a trail of smoke, the echoes of his sandals fading through the halls.

Iruka started to laugh, until he froze, going pale as well.

"Dang you Naruto! You just had to bring that up!" He yelled as he raced out of the room himself.

* * *

Sarutobi sat quietly in his office chair, leisurely smoking his pipe. Some might say he smoked too much, but at his age, he could afford it. And it relaxed him. So he understandably needed it quite often. He had completed his paperwork for the day, and was pondering what to do for his dinner. But his mind kept wandering to Naruto. He looked around his office, just casually reminiscing over the various mementos that he had collected over the years.

A knock on the doors jarred the Hokage out of his memories as he called for the person to enter. A small smile worked it's way onto his wrinkled face when Iruka entered the room, carrying a pack of papers.

"Ah, Iruka. So Naruto finished the test?" Sarutobi eyed the papers under Iruka's arm with interest. Something he rarely ever did, and would deny it if anyone asked.

Iruka marched over and slammed the papers onto the desk, giving Sarutobi a slight start.

"Twelve... hundred... questions. And Naruto only got _nine _even _slightly _wrong!" Iruka sputtered. Sarutobi's eyes widened.

"Twelve hundred? What test did you give him?" He picked up the papers, and checked the ID number in the upper corner. "What!? Iruka, what were you thinking? This test-"

"Taking his practical scores added to this, all Naruto is lacking is field experience, and he'd make chunin already!" Iruka shouted, throwing up his hands.

"Now wait a minute," Sarutobi frowned slightly, "Don't you think you're over reacting just a bit? Certainly Naruto is turning out to be more accomplished than we thought, but surely-"

"By all means Hokage-sama, feel free to look over that test yourself! You said you wanted to anyway! You can decide for yourself if I'm exaggerating!" Iruka blurted out, before letting out a sigh as he ran a hand over his face. "Please forgive me, I'm just feeling a little... diminished."

Iruka's strange comment caused Sarutobi's eyebrows to raise significantly.

"What do you mean?" He asked in patient curiosity as he puffed on his pipe.

"Even Naruto could tell that most of the latter half of the test was material that isn't normally taught to academy students." Iruka seemed a bit depressed. "And yet, he was still able to answer them." He paused with a serious expression. "The other day, after the graduation at the academy, when we were talking about Naruto, you told me about the woman who's been helping him."

"Kyaena Unaikaji." Sarutobi nodded.

"I call myself a teacher, yet..." Iruka gestured to the thick pack of paper, "She has taught him so much more than I ever would have, one way or the other."

"You can't blame yourself. You have responsibilities to all your students, while this woman has obviously devoted herself entirely to teaching Naruto alone." Sarutobi let out a measured sigh. "Although I never really had any way to know how effective his work was, since Naruto has no family... and no other distractions... This means that while all the other students spend some of their time at home with family, or with friends, Naruto does not. And all he ever does is train and study." He eyed his pipe a little, gauging how close it was to burning out. "I was a fool for not having more faith in his last intent..." Sarutobi nearly whispered to himself.

Iruka whipped around from his thoughts to give a surprised look in the elders' direction.

"Hokage-sama? What are you-" Iruka's question was stopped when Sarutobi held up a halting hand.

"Now's not the time to discuss that. I believe Naruto will be waiting for you at Ichiraku's?" He smirked slightly. "Go on. I'll look over Naruto's test." The Hokage motioned to dismiss the chunin.

"Ah, yes, he's probably there already." Iruka snickered lightly as he headed for the door, but paused. "Hokage-sama, what's she like? Kyaena-san I mean." Iruka was surprised when Sarutobi let out a frustrated sigh.

"I don't know anything beyond what Naruto has told me. I've never met her." The old man frowned, making Iruka turn back in shock.

"What? Never?" The flustered chunin gaped. "But, for how long she's been helping Naruto-"

"He says that they keep things secret for her protection. They seem to think that most of the village wouldn't take kindly to her helping him to such an extent. So, to my knowledge, no one has ever seen her." Sarutobi shrugged to his subordinate. "If it weren't for the fact that Naruto's progress proves her existence, I'd think that she's just a figment of his imagination. Still, if you can persuade Naruto to have her make an appearance, please let me know. But don't push to hard." Iruka nodded slowly in his stunned state as he turned to leave again, when Sarutobi called out one last time. "Oh, and be sure to tell Naruto about the registry photo. Tomorrow at about ten, I believe." Sarutobi called to the departing Iruka, who gave an acknowledging thumbs-up.

Sarutobi sat back in his seat after tapping out his pipe, and picked up Naruto's test papers to begin his personal review. And as for his own dinner...

He had an assistant send out for dumplings.

* * *

Ayame gave another glance at the strange sight in front of her. Naruto, sitting at a ramen bar, NOT eating ramen. He had shown up twenty minutes prior, but hadn't ordered anything. He just sat quietly, waiting. Teuchi had been a bit curious, but hadn't said anything yet. Ayame on the other hand, was _itching _with curiosity.

"Naruto-kun, you're making a mess, drooling over the counter like that. Are you going to order, or what?" She asked at last, pretending to wipe up a puddle of drool in front of him. He gave a sarcastically amused smirk.

"Ha ha. But seriously, I'm waiting for Iruka-sensei. He's treating me tonight!" Naruto switched to a full grin. "To celebrate my grad-u-a-tion!"

"Oh really?" Ayame giggled, "I mean, the Hitai-ate you're wearing was such a small and subtle clue, I wasn't sure!" She laughed.

"What, thiiiiissss?" Naruto drawled, tapping the metal. "Come on Ayame-chan, do you really think they just give these away in cereal boxes!? I'm going to be the greatest of the great!" Naruto beamed with a huge grin, making Ayame laugh more.

"**You know Naru-kun, Ayame-chan has grown to be quite the cutie in the last few years. Maybe you should ask her to be, you know...**" Kyaena snickered in a teasing tone, as she extended her smallest claw of one of her paws. Even though Naruto couldn't see the action at the moment, the meaning in her voice was obvious.

'_WWHHHHAAAAAT!? Are you nuts!? She's like a sister to me! It would be way, way, WAY to akwierd for us!_' Naruto coughed and choked as his tingling cheeks turned slightly red. Unfortunately, Ayame was still standing right there.

"Naruto-kun? Are you alright?" She blinked in concern.

"Uh, (hem), yeah, I'm fine, uh, S-sis...?" Naruto looked away, scratching the back of his head nervously with his cheeks still a little red. He was expecting a smack, but got something else instead that was just as jarring, if not more so.

"Well FINALLY!" Ayame threw her hands up in exasperation. "We've know each-other for _how _many years, and you're only just _now _deciding to consider me your sister? Sheesh! I thought you were more assertive than this!" She reached over to ruffle Naruto's hair before turning to her chores, leaving the boy drop-jawed.

"Y-you're... ok... with it?" He asked in a tiny voice. In the rear, Teuchi gave a chuckle without turning away from his boiling pots. Ayame gave Naruto another, even warmer smile.

"Absolutely! Unless of course, you'd rather I be something else?" She gave him a wink, which caused Naruto to bury his face in his arms to hide himself.

'_Well, she certainly can tease like a sister..._' He groaned, getting a laugh from Kyaena. "Uh, no that's fine! Sorry, I've just had a rather rough last seventy-two hours. Haven't gotten much sleep either." He had to raised his head again to yawn.

It was in the middle of Naruto's yawn that Iruka finally came through the shop flaps to sit down next to the tired boy. He looked around with mock surprise.

"And here I was half-expecting there to be a dozen empty bowls already." Iruka chuckled, drawing the attention of the others.

"Aww, nuts! You hear that Sis?" Naruto smirked, "We could've tricked him into paying for a lot more if we had just set out some empty bowls to make him think I had started without him!" He laughed as Ayame gave a mock snap of her fingers in disappointment.

"Yeah, as if I'd fall for it!" Iruka rolled his eyes.

The two took a minute to order, waiting until they had their bowls in front of them. Even as Naruto inhaled the wonderful smell, he cast a side glance at his teacher.

"So, I hope you left your 'sensei-ness' back at the academy, and are just here to enjoy some ramen." Naruto said cautiously. Iruka cleared his throat.

"Well, there is something I wanted to talk to you about..." Iruka said slowly, taking a bite of noodles.

"Gee, what a surprise..." Naruto groaned, before slurping up his second bowl. Iruka turned to look at him.

"Naruto, this is serious. I wanted to talk to you about... Well, Naruto, a ninja's life is hard. A lot harder than you think." Iruka said with all seriousness.

"A hard life, huh?" Naruto frowned. Although it was aimed at Iruka, he misinterpreted it as concern on Naruto's part.

"Yes, it's hard. All the classes in the academy, all the training in the world can't really prepare you for what going out there is actually like. The danger, the fear, the pain. There's no re-takes or do-overs out there. You have to be extremely careful." Iruka was so intent on his words, that he was ignoring his cooling ramen. Naruto however, was silently eating his fifth bowl in growing irritation.

"**Hey, at least have the decency to let him finish first before you snap at him.**" Kyaena said quietly.

'_Oh, don't worry. I intend to._' Naruto thought back, draining his sixth bowl of the leftover broth.

"You're going to have a lot of responsibility." Iruka continued. "It'll be very important for you to pay attention on missions, and to listen to your sensei. Don't be rash, and try not to let your temper get the better of you. You still have a lot to learn, so don't think that just because you've graduated the academy it means you can let up on your studies or training. Comparing yourself to academy standards, or even your fellow ninja just isn't going to work anymore. You'll have no idea what skills the enemies you'll encounter will have. You shouldn't take risks, and for the love of Kami, please try to put your pranking behind you." Iruka had a half-serious-half-pleading look at that last comment. "Please forgive me for saying this, but I've never understood your decision to become a ninja. I know you're always saying you want to be the greatest ninja, to become Hokage, but what started it? You... You don't have family, no parents to try to live up to. In a way, you could have done anything with your life." Iruka watched his effectively-near-ex-student polish off his eleventh bowl, hoping he hadn't stepped on any sore subjects. He had no idea.

"You finished?" Naruto asked bluntly after a silent moment as he slurped noodles.

"Uh, yeah, I guess." Iruka blinked in confusion and concern at Naruto's tone as he watched the blonde place his twelfth and final bowl in the stack with the others.

"Ok then." Naruto turned to face his chunin friend head-on. "First, it was Kyaena-chan's idea for me to be a ninja. I agreed because it seemed to be the best option at the time, and as far as I'm concerned, it still is the best option. No one would have ever let me do anything else with my life in this village. No one was willing to take me in, no one was interested in giving me a future. Even Kyaena-chan could only do so much for me. She couldn't be there for me like a... m-mother... only as a friend. Certain problems in her own life prevent her from being able to have a life here in the village." Naruto was so completely serious, that Iruka was a little scared. But he still caught the meaning of that statement.

"Wait, she isn't a member of our village? Where-" Iruka leaned forward in concern.

"Quiet! I let you finish, now let me finish!" Naruto snapped, causing Iruka to jerk back slightly. "Becoming a ninja was the best way we could think of for me to take care of myself! The only other option would have been for me to leave the village with Kyaena-chan to find somewhere easier to live!" Naruto watched as a look of near panicked shock hit Iruka's face, but the taped-up teacher held his tongue. "In fact, she tried may times to convince me to leave, but it was MY choice to stay! Why? Because this is my home! No matter how empty and cruel this village is to me! You're right, I don't have family _now_, but I had parents. Parents who lived _here _before... dying... fighting the Kyuubi." Naruto was tense by this point, his fists clenched on his knees, his jaw slightly ridged. "Whether I stayed or left, I had to decide on a purpose for my life. You said I don't have parents to live up to, but you're only half right. I didn't know them. No one seems to know. But... I decided, if my parents thought this village was worth dying to protect, then why couldn't it be a good enough purpose for me?" Naruto's face fell in sadness, even as Kyaena purred to keep him steady.

"How... How can you be sure... that your parents died in the Kyuubi attack?" Iruka asked slowly. Although Naruto was annoyed that he had been interrupted again, he just shrugged.

"I was born somewhere near that very date, but afterward, I was alone. So unless they just abandoned me to run off together, the only explanation is that they died before having the chance to... well, make 'arrangements' for me." Naruto sighed. "But I think we're getting off subject. You're trying to warn me that a ninja's life is dangerous. But unfortunately, beyond this point, it won't be any different than my life so far. If anything, it will be safer."

"But Naruto, you-" Iruka tried to interrupt again. He really was being rude.

"Last night, with that bastard Mizuki, when you were trying to protect me, you compared your life to mine, claiming to understand what I've been through. And you remember that I said we WEREN'T alike?" Naruto's voice had become hard again, allowing Iruka's nervousness to return as well. "You talked about being lonely, doubted, an outcast, and I'm willing to take your word on that. But tell me..." Naruto leaned forward menacingly, making Iruka lean back in retreat. "Were you beaten every time you showed your self in daylight?" Iruka winced. "Did you have to sleep in ravines and drainage pipes until you were five?" Iruka's head lowered in shame. "Did you have people trying to MURDER you just for trying to get enough food so you weren't STARVING!?" Naruto shouted out in anger.

"**Careful, Naru-kun. Don't loose control.**" Kyaena warned quietly, but personally, she was thrilled that Naruto was finally throwing the truth in _someone's _face, even if it had to be Iruka.

"No! That's impossible! You can't expect me to believe it was that bad!" Iruka suddenly shouted back, but nearly choked when he noticed out of the corner of his eye, that Teuchi and Ayame were both trying to hide their teary (and in Teuchi's case, slightly guilty) faces. "Y-you don't have any scars! You have a fine apartment! I've seen it!"

"Sure, _now_! But it wasn't always like this!" Naruto steamed. "Jiji has helped me a lot. At times it seems almost as much as Kyaena-chan has. But I've lived a life others haven't. I'm... well..." Naruto frowned, unsure how to describe himself. Kyaena was about to make a suggestion, until Iruka made the critical mistake.

"No Naruto! I don't believe you! There's no evidence that you've gone through anything like that!" He said angrily at the perceived lies of Naruto. Kyaena gasped.

'**_Oh crap, this is going to be bad._**' She tensed.

"Evidence? EVIDENCE!?" Naruto's eye's were dark with rage as he yanked back a sleeve to expose his bare arm. "You want evidence!? HERE'S YOU'RE DAMN EVIDENCE!" Before anyone could move, Naruto pulled out his red kunai from his holster and stabbed it deep into his forearm, almost completely piercing straight through.

Ayame screamed, Teuchi dropped a pot of water that crashed and splashed everywhere, even as Naruto's blood splatted on his and Iruka's faces.

"NARUTO! What in Kami's name-" Iruka, in panic, lunged to take the kunai, but Naruto slapped his hands away.

"Now look at it!" Naruto shouted, holding his dripping arm up in front of Iruka's face.

"Naruto, stop this! We have to get you to the hos-" Iruka tried for the kunai again, only to have his hands slapped away again.

"LOOK AT IT!" Naruto seethed, his eyes daring Iruka to try to take the kunai again.

Iruka swallowed hard, but forced himself to look at the self-inflicted wound.

'_I don't know what he's doing!_' He thought as he examined Naruto's arm. There was surprisingly little actual blood flow or loss. Only a few drops that leaked out from around the wound. '_I don't know what he wants me to see. I can't tell if the muscles are severed, it seems to have missed the bones... I can't believe he did this to himself! Great Kami, he must be in excruciating pa-_' Iruka froze as a chilling thought rippled through him. His gaze moved beyond the bloodied arm to Naruto's face. Iruka looked at the boy in front of him. Naruto's eyes were hard and steady. His breathing was normal. He wasn't reacting like he was in pain. He was acting... like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"This is what hardship looks like!" Naruto said, noting the look on Iruka's face. "I've been beaten, stabbed and cut so many times, pain like this doesn't even faze me anymore! So don't you dare try to lecture me on how dangerous life can be!" Naruto paused to draw back his arm. "Can you name even one of any of the students you've ever had that could've, or would've, done something like this to themselves?" Naruto noted Iruka's silence, and nodded. "That's what I thought." He turned to look at the still terrified ramen cooks. "Ayame, can you give me something to wipe my arm off with, please?" Ayame grabbed a towel from next to the sink, and dampened it before handing it to Naruto.

Iruka watched as Naruto laid the towel on the counter, then placed his arm on it. Partly pulling one side of the towel around his arm, he switched his hand to the kunai. Focusing demonic chakra into his arm, Naruto slowly pulled the weapon out, letting the wound heal behind it. He set the kunai to the side then wiped off his arm to get what little blood there was. Satisfied, he put the blood covered kunai back into his holster, then handed the towel to a visibly shaken Ayame, who immediately began washing the towel in the sink. Naruto turned back to Iruka, holding up his arm again for him to see.

"Th-there's... no mark... not even a scar!" Iruka gasped. Teuchi was mopping up the water behind the counter, trying not to draw attention to himself. He had seen enough of Naruto's blood over the years.

"That's why I don't 'look' like I've been through anything." Naruto sighed. "I suppose it will work to my advantage in the future. It makes people underestimate me... not like they need help doing that." Naruto grumped, turning round in his seat. "Can I have some fruit juice please?" He asked to Ayame, who went to the refrigerator and quickly pulled out a quart bottle of juice to set in front of the blonde boy.

Everyone was silent for a few moments. Teuchi and Ayame were continuing to clean up, while Iruka just watched Naruto gulp down his juice with a very confused and worried look on his face.

"**Damn Naru-kun, I think you scared the piss out of them!**" Kyaena scolded mildly as she pawed one of her tails to smooth out the fur.

'_I was only trying to make a point. It's not my fault that I'm more used to cruelty than they are._' Naruto replied as he wiped his mouth.

"Naruto, what did you mean, before, when you said that things will be safer for you from now on?" Iruka asked quietly. "I mean, if... if your not even safe in the village..."

"One very simple reason." Naruto held up a finger for emphasis. "Up until now, I've had to just take what comes at me in silence. Because of the 'lack of evidence', I could never say anything. All I've ever been able to do is to try to run when I can. I can't hurt anyone in the village. But out there..." Naruto smirked a hellishly foxy grin, "I'll finally be allowed to fight back."

"Oh..." Iruka was slightly pale at his student's answer, even though it made a sick sort of sense.

"Hey, don't look so freaked out! It's not like I'm eager to hurt people or anything like that, but this is what I've worked for! I've gotten quite used to taking care of myself, so you don't have to worry!" Naruto shrugged with a more honest smile. "Frankly, it's nice to have someone other that Kya-chan and the Ichiraku duo here to worry about me."

Iruka smiled at the comment, as did the two chefs. Iruka made a decision, and took a breath.

"Naruto, you won't be alone you know. You're going to be assigned to a squad team." He said seriously. Naruto froze with a surprised look on his face.

"Crap. I completely forgot about that." Naruto's brow tensed in sudden worry. "I mean, I know a squad consists of four, but I guess after three years just trying to get through the academy, the fact that I'd be one of four kind of slipped my mind."

"Ah, yes, well, there's something more to it than that. Graduating the academy means that your individual skills have reached an appropriate level for a genin, but..." Iruka paused, wondering how Naruto was going to handle the news.

"Eh? But what?" Naruto asked.

"**Maybe you have to take another test.**" Kyaena snickered.

'_Hey, not funny._' Naruto snapped.

"Well," Iruka continued, "We don't just slap groups together and send them out. Each group has to be compatible, and be able to work together. So, once the teams are arranged..." Iruka cleared his throat slightly.

"What is it already?" Naruto was getting a bit impatient.

"... The teams have to be tested to make sure they will hold together in the field." Iruka blurted out quickly.

Naruto stared at him for a second, before face-faulting to the ground.

"WHAT!? ANOTHER TEST!?" He screeched as he erupted back to his feet.

"**Hey, I was just kidding about that!**" Kyaena whined, while trying to keep from laughing herself stupid. Iruka was franticly waving defensively against his verbally vicious dinner companion.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but it's the way it works! Sit down, please!" Iruka waited until the furiously glaring youth was back on his seat. "Look, it's basically considered 'the genin exam'. It's all about teamwork. That's the only way a squad will be passed. If you can't work together effectively, you'll be sent back to the academy for further training." Iruka said the last part with a deadpan tone.

"Oh that's just wonderful." Naruto smacked his face in aggravation. After a moment, a pondering look crossed his face. "So, it won't matter if just one or two of the candidates have sufficient skill? All four of us have to pass together?"

"Well, three. Three genin lead by a jounin. But yes, it's a pass-fail test. No partial squads, no singling out one over the others. And you won't have any time to get set up with your teammates. After the orientation, where your teams and sensei's are assigned, your sensei will test you immediately. It might be that afternoon, or it might be the next day. So I suggest you make sure you're as prepared as you can be." Iruka said with a sigh.

It was a slight burden off his chest. After what had been happening lately, he felt Naruto deserved to know what was coming next. The other students probably knew, due to family members who were ninja that had mentioned it to them, so Iruka felt he was merely equalizing things to make sure Naruto wasn't placed at an unfair disadvantage again. He'd have enough of that later in life.

"Sorry you two, but we're closing now." Teuchi said over the counter, momentarily interrupting the two ninja.

They said their goodbyes after Iruka paid for the meals and stepped out onto the street as Teuchi lowered the wood planks to shut up the ramen stand. Iruka began walking alongside Naruto as they headed towards Naruto's apartment.

"**Ask him who you're going to be teamed with.**" Kyaena instructed as the pair walked.

"So, sensei... Any chance you can tell me who I'm going to be teamed with?" Naruto asked in a innocently curious tone. Iruka sighed as he shook his head.

"No, Naruto. I'm afraid you'll have to wait until orientation like everyone else, the day after tomorrow." Iruka shrugged.

"Day after tomorrow. Two days. Great." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "This... is going to be interesting."

"I certainly agree with you on that." Iruka laughed.

"**And I hope I don't have a migraine by the time this is over.**" Kyaena groaned, causing Naruto's mouth to twitch in ammusement.

Naruto and Iruka stopped at last on Naruto's apartment front porch. Even though it was the second floor of the building.

"Naruto, you should try to rest up a bit before orientation. Just take it easy until then. Take some time to think about how you're going to handle being part of a team." Iruka said as he stood next to Naruto who was unlocking his door.

"It'd be easier if I knew who I was going to be placed with." Naruto suggested again, but Iruka just shook his head in refusal.

"Sorry, but I can't tell you. Mainly because, I won't know myself until I go talk to Hokage-sama, who should be done looking at your test by now." He shrugged innocently

"Oh. My bad." Naruto scratched his head akwardly.

"OK then, I'll see you at orientaion." Iruka gave Naruto a pat on the head and turned to leave, but just as he was about to leap the railing, he stumbled, then turned back. "Oh, I almost forgot, report to the Hokage tower tomorrow at ten. You'll have to get your registration photo taken, for the ninja roster and records. Please try to be presentable." Iruka gave a salute, then leaped off.

Naruto let himself into his apartment and quickly went about getting washed, then changed for bed.

'_This could be a problem, you know._' Naruto thought as he flopped down.

"**As far as the issue of your teammates go, it's up in the air. It depends on who gets assigned to your group.**" Kyaena paused, before turning completely serious. "**There is a much bigger potential problem.**"

'_Oh? What?_' Naruto put his favorite buck-toothed-night-cap on his head.

"**The jounin sensei. I'm guessing that the odds are not in our favor for getting an un-biased individual.**" Kyaena flinched when she felt Naruto's instant apprehension. "**I'm sorry, but think about it. It took three years to get through to Iruka-san. Unless the jounin assigned to your team is very reasonable and understanding-**"

'_What, you don't really think they would fail the team just to get at me, do you? If it was just me, well sure, that would be expected. But they couldn't mess with the others without getting in trouble. I'm betting the Old-Man would kick some ass._' Naruto frowned as he pulled his covers up over himself.

"**Maybe. I hope your right.**" Kyaena stretched thoroughly, then curled up in her favorite pillows. "**But there's no point in being reckless. Not for this. So don't trust the jonin. Not at first. I say we test _them _for a change. So we don't make the same mistake like we did with Mizuki-**"

'_Sorry, sorry, sorry..._' Naruto whined.

"**Hey, take it easy. Nobody is perfect.**" Kyaena purred.

'_But, first it was the traitor Itachi, then the traitor Mizuki... I don't have the best judgment when it comes to people..._' Naruto rolled over and closed his eyes.

"**Those were special cases. You couldn't have known about the Uchiha, who you did stay away from, but it was him that came after you. You couldn't have avoided it. And as far as Mizuki, well, he was real smooth and cautious, playing things real low. And again, he was in a position that you couldn't avoid him without dropping out of the acadamy. But take heart that you did manage to get through both those situations, and you did well in beating the crap out of Mizuki-teme. At least you managed to stop one traitor. Just learn from the experiences, Naru-kun.**" She yawned.

'_Right. So for the jonin sensei, who I can't avoid, I need to be ready. I can't trust him from the start. _He_ has to earn _my _trust. I'll have to make sure that this time, I test his intentions. This time, the guy gets the gauntlet!_' Naruto vowed. '_But first, there's that registry photo shoot. I wonder how I should make myself 'presentable', as Iruka-sensei put it._'

"**Hey, you've got a legendary artist inside your soul. And your own artistry skills are coming along very nicely. I've got an idea that should make quite the impression.**" Kyaena let a huge grin bare her teeth. "**Trust me.**" She snickered.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER

* * *

Author's Notes:

I make no apologies for how long it took me to write and post this chapter. Since it is an original chapter, I wanted quality, and I hope I got it. Plus, my internet connection was giving me trouble for quite a while.

Is it as long as I thought it would be? Yeah, it hit about the same length as the previous chapter, so it feels good.

Is this chapter really necessary to the main storyline? I sure as hell think so. Since Mizuki had interfered with Naruto's academy tests, and admitted to doing so, it stands to reason that Iruka and Sarutobi would want an accurate measure of Naruto's skills, hence the re-evaluation testing. Did I over do Naruto's skills? I don't think so, and I hope you've been paying attention to the reasons I give for why he's as he is. He's not invincible or unbeatable, but he's definitely starting out ahead of the usual academy student standards. Don't worry, he will definitely face problems down the line, in his own way.

The Ichiraku scene with Iruka's 'lecture'. I felt that it was important, since in canon, they mention it, but don't show it. If it was something Iruka really wanted to impress on Naruto, it needed to be written out. And for those of you who think I made Naruto react to the lecture the wrong way, please go to the prologue, go down to the very bottom with the notes, and re-read the very last line. Thank you.

I'm sure you're wondering why I would introduce an OC in this chapter if I'm trying to parallel the canon storyline. Because I wanted to, and in my take on Naruto's life, the dangerous life, he would need a replacement guardian after Itachi took off. She'll pop up from time to time, in situations that would necessitate her presence, but will otherwise be a 'hidden' character until much, much later in the story. She'll only turn up three more times between now, and the 'Retrieve Sasuke' arc. After that, it'll be play by ear. I think.

To answer the next batch of reviews:

**Crusifikz70**: Sorry if I've confused you, but take into account that the shadow clone is an A-rank jutsu, and the fact that he thought he only needed one, and the fact that he was focused on repairing his one short-coming so far, and... well, you get the picture. As to the team-7 thing, I'll have an explanation, though I don't know how many people are going to like it. But I feel it will keep to canon to a degree, and the fact that I have no intention of making things too easy for Naruto.

**Loatroll**: Another reviewer mentioning the team-7 thing. I don't mind, but I'll just keep saying the same things. Naruto will be on team-7 with Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi. But as the end of this chapter shows, them getting together may be a bit more complicated in execution. Wait to see the bell test. It should amuse you.

**Spectral Soul**: You sound like your offering to be a beta reader, which I already have, but if there are other things you mean, please PM me and keep the discussion off the review board, as I think it would be impolite to other readers/reviewers. Thank you.

**Silent Blade**: I'm glad you approve of the length of my chapters, cause I don't expect them to be getting much shorter anytime soon. As for the pairings, it's much, MUCH too soon for it. It'll happen when it happens. And as for the suggestions on changing my story rating/category, yes, you make sense, but I'm trying to be accurate/truthful in what the story includes _so far_. But maybe, if by the time I finish the first arc I still feel my reviews are a bit low, I'll try your suggestions. Thank you.

**Oni244**: 'Stab himself with a kunai' indeed! As you can see, he won't do it by accident, but he'll do it on purpose! It does seem in canon that no one has any faith in Naruto at all, and they definityly don't make any effort to actually help him. In fact, I just saw shippuden episode 55, and Kakashi is _only just _getting to telling Naruto about the shadow clone trick? That is just not right, for a number of reasons. And don't forget, it's only now, the beginning of the series that is, that he's beginning to get involved with more 'adults', you know, people who are likely to be kyuubi-haters. So he's still learning who he can and can't trust. I hope the end of this chapter piqued your interest, since we all know who that 'jonin sensei' is going to be!

Thank you all so far, and I hope things continue to go smoothly!

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This chapter edited:

5-17-2013


	4. SOTS,1,01,03

(AN: For disclaimer, see my profile, and also, help me with my goal to have it possible for submissions to display colored text!)

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**SOTS-1-01-03**

**Soul of the Seal - Story 1 - Arc 1 - Chapter 3**

**Chapter 3 - "Say My Name!"**

* * *

Naruto sat carefully on the stool, trying to keep himself still. Sitting between a pair of light adjustment stands on the top of the Hokage tower, the aging camera man standing several feet away was looking him over.

"Uh, kid, are you sure you want me to take your picture like that?" The man asked hesitantly.

"Well, duh! Why else would I go to all the trouble?" Naruto nodded, trying to get his pose right. "Why, it doesn't look that bad, does it?"

"Well, no, actually, I think it's nice work." The man admitted. "Where'd you get it done?"

"Did it myself, though a friend helped touching it up." Naruto said, while shifting his feet slightly.

"No kidding? Well, look, under different circumstances, I'd be all for your artistic talent kid. But this is for the official village ninja roster records. Are you really sure you want-" The camera man gestured.

"Yeah, absolutely! Hurry up before the paint gets smeared!" Naruto huffed. The man shrugged.

"Alright. Don't blame me later." The man got behind the camera, and aimed. "Say cheese!"

"RAMEN!" Naruto bared his teeth in a serious glare as he posed. ... (click)

"Ok, that's it." The man pulled a cartridge plate out of the camera, and placed it in a carrying case. "So then, we gotta take this over to the academy."

As Naruto helped him pack his equipment, he frowned.

"Wait, if the picture has to go to the academy, why take it here on the tower?" Naruto asked, as he picked up the two heaviest cases.

"Hey, don't ask me, I just go where I'm paid to go." The man replied as they started for the stairs. "So, kid, I don't suppose you'd be interested in being paid to do that kind of make-up work as a serious profession?"

"Nope, sorry, I'm a ninja! I doubt I'd have time to pursue any kind of artistry career. If I'm not out on missions, I'll be training." Naruto shook his head.

"Are you sure? That stunt you pulled with the Hokage mountain the other day was top quality work. If the ninja thing doesn't work out, you'd probably have no trouble setting up an art studio." The man suggested as the two started down the stairs.

"I won't ever give up being a ninja. But..." Naruto paused to consider as Kyaena offered her two cents.

"**Art is inherit. You'll always have the skill, if perhaps later in life, you need something to occupy your retirement years. The Hokage does the same with his calligraphy, don't forget.**" She offered.

"... Ah, never mind. It's really just a hobby." Naruto shrugged.

"Suit yourself." The man said over his shoulder.

* * *

About an hour later, Naruto was in one of the spare meeting rooms of the academy, sitting in front of Sarutobi and an academy assistant clerk who looked totally bored out of his mind. Naruto, having washed himself of his earlier work, sat with a slightly sheepish grin. Sarutobi was looking at a freshly printed paper that was to be the basis for Naruto's ninja profile. A few statistics were listed, including the new test results from the re-evaluation the other day. And in the upper left corner, was the picture that had been taken just a little while ago.

The picture showed Naruto in his usual orange jacket, but that was as far as the 'usual' extended. His brilliant yellow-blonde hair, while still as spiky as ever, was not sticking out everywhere, but rather was arranged into a more evenly symmetrical pattern with his tips dyed red. Naruto's face and hands were painted red, but on his face, his whiskers were prominently highlighted with silver with slight curls at the outward ends to make them look more organic. Outlining Naruto's eyes, across his temples and around his whiskers down to under his chin, were carefully placed patterns of gold, giving him a ferociously mystic look. His red painted hands also had gold swirls painted on his palms and fingertips, with gold pentagrams on the backs.

Sarutobi puffed on his pipe in worry. While he wasn't too surprised that Naruto had done something like this, he hadn't expected it to look the way it did. He couldn't help but wonder if perhaps the incident with Mizuki had something to do with it. Though it seemed as if Naruto hadn't believed him at the time, and therefore the secret of the Kyuubi was still secret from him, as Sarutobi looked at the red face, the pronounced whiskers, the spiked hair, the darkened outlined eyes, the bared teeth... Naruto looked awfully... well... foxish... was the only word that came to mind. He only hoped it was just a coincidence.

'_Although, I have to admit, Naruto has gotten quite good with a paintbrush. Maybe I should invite him to sit in on my calligraphy sessions someday._' Sarutobi thought.

"Pretty nice, huh? It took me all morning, over three hours, to get it just right. Kya-chan and I had trouble deciding whether to reverse the silver and gold, but, in the end, it worked out. A living work of art!" Naruto grinned.

"Take it over." Sarutobi said. Naruto nearly fell out of his chair.

"What!? What for!? That's a great shot!" Naruto pointed franticly.

"**I can't believe it! I thought the old man would appreciate your artwork! Now, to have gone through all that trouble, and not even be able to use the look? That bites.**" Kyaena huffed, pawing at an ear.

"We can't accept this photo." Sarutobi puffed patiently.

"Why not!? And anyway, I already went through the trouble, and I don't feel like doing it again!" Naruto jutted his chin out.

Naruto and Sarutobi sat, glaring at each other for a moment, each wanting the other to crack first.

"**Peh. If I could get out, I'm sure I could convince him quick enough.**" Kyaena smirked in that way that women smirk, the one that promises either unbearable ecstasies, or unspeakable agonies. Naruto derived his own interpretation from it.

'_Yeah, he just needs some convincing... Some friendly coaxing!_' Naruto thought sneakily. He jumped up from his chair and made a single handsign. "Transform!" A burst of smoke flared around him, to only partly disperse, revealing some, but not all, of the skin of a pig-tailed female Naruto, who blushingly made pouty lips at the old man. "Oh, pwetty pweese, Hokage-saaaammmaaaa? Keep the photo, just for me?" She cooed, blowing a kiss.

Sarutobi was no idiot, but neither was he as young as he once was. It took about three seconds for his mind to process what was in front of him, and the knowledge only he and Iruka knew about Naruto's Transformation Jutsu. Then, once that minor delay was dealt with, he promptly yelped as his bloody nose flipped him and his chair backwards onto the floor with a crash, where he lay twitching for several moments.

Naruto poofed back to himself with a surprised, and slightly disappointed, look on his face.

"**Oh come on,**" Kyaena giggled, "**You can't be that surprised, can you? Almost all old men are perverts.**"

'_Maybe, but I thought the Old-Man was in that minority that wasn't like that._' Naruto shook his head with a sigh as Sarutobi quickly righted himself back into his seat.

"So, that's your Sexy Jutsu, is it?" Sarutobi had managed to regain his composure, except for the handkerchief he was casually dabbing at his nose with.

"What? Sexy Jutsu?" Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "Where'd you come up with that name? It's just the Transformation Jutsu."

"Yes, well, Iruka told me about it. He called it that." Sarutobi gave a slightly embarrassed cough. "And I can see why. That's a tricky use for the jutsu. Much too tricky. Please don't do it again." He said as Naruto just shrugged in response. "By the way, where is your Hitai-ate?" Sarutobi frowned as he eyed the goggles on Naruto's forehead. "It marks you as an adult shinobi of the village. You should be wearing it."

"I am." Naruto grinned as he pulled up his goggles, revealing the metal leaf symbol that had been hidden under it. "Hey, goggles are a tool, and can be useful. I'm not going to just throw them away. But, once I go to orientation, I'll keep the goggles in my pack. I just figured they could keep my Hitai-ate company until then." He chuckled.

"...In any case," Sarutobi rolled his eyes ever so slightly, "This photo is for the official ninja registration roster. It's the file that will identify you, and will hold all the records of your training and missions, which are the key to your shinobi career." He picked up the paper again. "Why in the world would you want to look like this? You can't even tell who it is!" He was attempting to scold Naruto, but blinked when he noticed the boy's face fall ever so slightly, and his eyes dimmed to match.

"Didn't it occur to you... that maybe... that was the idea?" Naruto mumbled quietly, causing Sarutobi's AND Kyaena's eyebrows to shoot up.

"**What? What the hell are you talking about?**" Kyaena demanded. "**You said you wanted to look impressive and intimidating! Why-**"

'_I think it would be better to discuss this later._' Naruto cut in quickly, noting the very serious contemplative look on Sarutobi's face.

"**Don't bother.**" Kyaena huffed. "**I'll just look through your memories to find where that ridiculous thought came from.**" She flicked her tails in annoyance. '_**How the heck did I miss that thought?**_' She wondered worriedly. '**_I don't recall him feeling like this when we were doing the face paint earlier._'**

Sarutobi was staring intently at Naruto, trying to untangle, what he believed to be, the complex statement the boy had just made.

'_Would he really not want people to recognize him?_' The elder ninja grimaced with worry. '_Is he really so desperate to want to leave behind his painful life in the hopes of making a new identity as a ninja only?_' He glanced down at the photo again, looking at the eyes and slightly bared teeth. It was a look that said, 'Just try to hurt me, and you'll regret it.' Sarutobi tried to shake off the slight chill that tickled his bones when he though of what Naruto might actually do to a real **enemy**, one he was allowed to attack back. '_Could he be trying to over compensate, and is trying to send a completely different image of himself to those outside the village?_' Sarutobi straightened up as he cleared his throat a little. "Naruto, perhaps we should discuss-"

The Hokage stopped mid sentence as both he and Naruto turned their sight to the door of the room a split second before it yanked open. A small dark haired boy with a strange headcap and a blue scarf that was about three feet too long jumped forward with a single shuriken in his hand.

"Old man! I challenge you!" The boy called out as he started to run forward, only to suddenly fall flat on his face with a startled yelp. He began to roll back and forth, holding his face. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!"

'_Oh dear. If it's not one thing, it's another._' Sarutobi sighed as he pulled his hat down a bit over his face in embarrassment. Naruto was just staring in complete confusion, as a dark plain clothed man with sunglasses appeared in the doorway, looking slightly winded.

"Dang it! Did some kind of trap trip me?" The boy whined as he sat up, still holding his head.

"AH! Are you alright honorable grandson!?" The glasses man asked in anxiety. "And pardon my observation, but there are no traps here, it's completely flat." He said with a bit more composure as he adjusted his sunglasses.

Naruto was still looking on, with an eye twitching in complete disbelief.

'_Who... in the world... is this runt?_' He thought.

"**Well if that isn't the pot calling the kettle black!**" Kyaena snickered at her crack at him, making him growl inward slightly.

The boy had finally gotten up, and looked around to spot Naruto staring at him, even as the glasses man noticed the blonde's presence as well.

'_Ah! It's **him**. The Kyuubi-brat. The trouble maker and worst brand of scoundrel!_' The man sneered in disgust, even as the boy stomped over to stand in front of Naruto.

"So it's you! You're the one who tripped me, didn't you!?" The boy pointed angrily.

Trying to keep himself from over-reacting, Naruto slowly and deliberately reached out and picked up the dragging blue scarf, flipping the end back and forth in front of the boys face.

"THIS, is what you tripped over, kid." Naruto said with a tight voice. "Seriously, get yourself a smaller size. This just doesn't work for you."

"No, no, no!" The boy stamped his feet while still pointing accusingly. "Liar! You did it! You did! Just admit the truth you coward!"

Almost too fast to see, Naruto was instantly on his feet and grabbed the boy by the front of his scarf, lifting him right off the ground.

"You listen real good, BRAT," Naruto hissed through clenched teeth as his eyes darkened with instant anger. "I am neither a liar or a coward, and you'd better learn to be more careful when throwing those terms around in front of ninja, or someone might just be tempted to teach you a lesson!"

"Uzumaki! Take your hands off him RIGHT NOW!" The glasses man shouted. "He is the honorable grandson of our great leader Sandaime Hokage-sama!"

Naruto paused at the man's outburst, figuring the man had no reason to lie in the current situation.

'_Whoa. This gaki is related to the old man?_' Naruto looked at the boy again for a moment. '_I don't see any resemblance. In looks OR attitude._'

"**With a generation separating them, it's not surprising.**" Kyaena shrugged it off casually. The boy in question was just glaring back at Naruto.

'_Ha. He stopped as soon as he learned who I am._' He smirked slightly. '_He's just like Four-Eyes-sensei and all the rest. Now that he knows, he won't dare to lay a finger on me._' He puffed up his chest as best he could while hanging in mid-air. "Well what's the matter tough guy? I thought you were going to teach me a lesson! _Afraid _because the Sandaime Hokage is my grandpa?" He mocked. Naruto tensed.

"I DON'T CARE IF HE'S YOU'RE GRAND_MOTHER_!" Naruto whirled the boy around in mid air, as his hand came down to the boys belt. Or to be more accurate, the boy's underwear. A vicious yank upward produced a high-pitched squeak from the boy, but Naruto had pulled a bit too hard. There was a rip as the material gave way to the force of momentum, causing the boy to somersault once before coming down to crash headlong into the floor.

"THA-THA-THA-!" The glasses man gasped in horrified outrage as he glared at Naruto, who was standing still, blinking in surprise at the piece of underwear that was still in his hand. '_That's it! He assaulted the honorable grandson! Now he must die!_' The man started to snarl as his hand drifted to his belt.

"Stand down, Ebisu." Sarutobi whispered so only the man could hear.

"B-but, Hokage-sama, he-" Ebisu stuttered in surprise at the order. Surly the Hokage couldn't let the assault on one of his own family go unpunished, could he?

Naruto meanwhile, was a bit perplexed by the situation.

'_Um, I wasn't expecting that._' He looked down at the apparently unconscious boy. '_You think he's ok?_'

"**Bruised head, no doubt. Bruised ego, most likely. But I don't see any blood. He'll be fine.**" Kyaena's nose twitched. "**However, I suggest you make yourself scarce for the rest of the day from the Old-Man.**"

"Uh, right, so, I'll just... go take that redo photo for the files. See you later Old-Man!" Naruto waved nervously as he rapidly shuffled out of the room.

Ebisu glared as the blonde made a hasty withdraw, then turned to Sarutobi.

"Hokage-sama, how can you just let that-" Ebisu's breath caught at his leader's sudden hard glare, "-That delinquent, get away with this!?"

"And what exactly would you charge him with? Committing a wedgie without authorization?" Sarutobi sighed. "Now, if you could..." He gestured to the boy on the floor who was groaning and sitting up.

"Ah! Are you alright honorable grandson?" Ebisu asked urgently as he helped the boy to his feet.

"Hey, where'd he go?" The boy asked, looking around. '_That guy was different. He didn't care at all who I am. I want to talk to him! ... And he owes me a new pair of underwear._' He tugged at his pants slightly.

Ebisu frowned at the boy's question as he straightened his glasses.

"Now you must listen to me, honorable grandson. You must not associate with riff-raff like that, nor can you allow him to draw you into a conflict, even if he does deserve it." Ebisu lectured, despite the pointed cough from Sarutobi behind him. "He is far beneath you, so you must not stoop to his level! As your distinguished sensei, I'm never wrong about these things, which means I'm always right!" Ebisu smirked as he turned to gazed out on the village through the open wall balcony that took up one side of the room. "I'm above more mundane trainers, so you must heed my every word. Your goal is to become the next Hokage, and I can teach you the best way to do it. Indeed, stick with me and you will gain a shortcut towards becoming the Godaime Hokage. You understand don't you, honorable grandson?" Ebisu turned around, but found himself talking to thin air. "AH! Where'd he go now!?" He wailed.

"I believe he went to follow Naruto, but I have no idea where they're headed." Sarutobi offered in a completely calm and casual tone.

"What!? He went after Naruto!? This is a disaster!" Ebisu raced out of the room and down the hall.

Sarutobi sighed as he leaned forward in his chair, interlacing his hands under his nose with his elbows on the table.

'_How did Konohamaru grow up to be like that? He's quite determined. That was his tenth sneak attack today alone._' He pondered to himself as he began cleaning his spent pipe. '_Although, maybe, if he hangs around Naruto for a while, he could learn a thing or two about hard work._' He paused. '_At least, so long as Naruto doesn't teach him anything... tricky._' He shook his head, trying to get the image of the naked blonde girl out of his mind.

Sarutobi began arranging his papers, casting a curious glance at the assistant next to him, who hadn't said a single word all morning. Shaking off the thought, Sarutobi was about to get up to leave, when a jounin kunoichi barged into the room. That is, she came flying in through the open wall balcony to skid to a stop in front of the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, I need to talk to you!" She gasped, slightly out of breath. Sarutobi looked up like he wasn't surprised at all.

"Ah, so you're back from your latest mission." He said calmly, arranging his papers again.

"Yeah, I'm back, and guess what? As I was checking in, I head something very interesting!" The kunoichi huffed, finally standing up straight. "It seems there was some trouble with an attempted traitor! A traitor who was within the academy!"

"Yes, there was an... incident, with Mizuki Touji, the night before last. It caused a bit of a disturbance, but was dealt with quite handily." Sarutobi nodded, placing his pipe in his pocket as he attached some paperclips to his papers.

"Mizuki... Mizuki... I know that name. He was one of the senseis of an advanced class right?" She made a show of pretending to think.

"Yes, that's right, along wi-" Sarutobi started to put his papers into a folder.

"And he was one of NARUTO'S senseis, _right_?" She interrupted, trying not to let her tone get out of hand. She may have been mad, but it was still the Hokage she was addressing. Sarutobi paused to look up at the irked woman.

"...Yes, he was. And in fact, it was Naruto who stopped him in the act of some serious crimes." Sarutobi set the folder down, sensing that the conversation was going to take a minute or two.

"Oh, I heard he did more than just stop the traitor..." She really was trying not to glare, but it was coming out on it's own anyway. "I also heard that he _graduated_!"

"If your going where I think you are..." Sarutobi sighed, rubbing bridge of his nose slightly.

"So, now he's graduated, and was assigned to a team for the genin evaluation... and you assigned HATAKE as the jounin sensei!?" She half asked, half demanded.

The assistant that had been sitting next to Sarutobi working on papers paused and looked up at the kunoichi's loud tone, but when she and Sarutobi glanced at him, he blanched and quickly returned to his writing.

"I only made the final decisions last night, and posted the team assignments first thing this morning." Sarutobi turned back to the woman. "And I didn't know if you'd be back from your mission by now. I made the decision I could at the time, especially considering the unique circumstances of Naruto's graduation. And as for Kakashi, he was only picked as the sensei to the _team _that Naruto was placed in." He said in a serious tone, trying to make his point of the difference.

"But you _know _that I've had a standing request to be the sensei assigned to Naruto's team ever since he first _entered _the academy!" The kunoichi argued.

"Yes, I'm aware of that. Unfortunately, events didn't quite work out this time to make that possible. You were away, Naruto graduated late, but I still had to work quickly to include him in the team assignments with the rest of his class." Sarutobi raised an eyebrow as he shrugged slightly. "Actually, it was fortunate that there was a spot still open for him to be placed in. The number of graduates worked out perfectly."

"But, but..." The jounin stammered, at a loss at the terrible situation.

"Look, I know how you feel about him, and truthfully, I'm very grateful that you're able to see him that way. But as a ninja, you know that things don't always go as planned." Sarutobi went to take a puff on his pipe, only to realize he had already put it away. He cleared his throat lightly in embarrassment at the slip. "Naruto has officially been assigned to genin team seven, and Kakashi Hatake has been assigned as sensei to the team. If you're really serious about wanting to be Naruto's sensei, if he fails the genin exam, then next year-"

"No." The kunoichi stated bluntly.

"I beg your pardon?" Sarutobi asked with a frown and raised eyebrow.

"I said no. You won't trick me into _hoping _that Naruto fails. No matter what the reason." She crossed her arms under her chest defiantly.

"I wasn't suggesting anything of the sort!" Sarutobi snapped slightly at such an accusation. "I know that Naruto will try his absolute hardest, but regardless, it will be up to Kakashi whether or not the team passes."

The kunoichi huffed slightly as she paced around a bit in frustration. She stopped and her frown returned full-force as a new thought occurred to her.

"Why was Kakashi even included in the jounin selection anyway? As far as I know, he's never wanted to be assigned a genin squad, since no team has ever passed his tests. Hasn't it been, like, nearly five years since he even last tested a team?" She asked in confusion.

"Ah... Yes, something like that." Sarutobi suddenly felt a bit nervous. "But just because it's been a while, it doesn't mean he can't still be included, especially after he volunteered-" Sarutobi froze when he realized what he had just let slip, and the kunoichi whirled to face him.

"Volunteered!? I _know _he's never done that before! Why would he-" She froze, then narrowed her eyes at the squirming old man. "Hokage-sama, who are the other two genin on Naruto's team?" She asked in much too sweet a voice.

"Uh, I don't see what that has to do with..." Sarutobi started to say, but trailed off as the kunoichi sashayed over and planted her hands on the table, causing her chest to jiggle slightly with the impact.

"Hokage-sama, who are they?" She asked again, with a large, teeth-baring grin.

"Well, as I recall, their names were Sakura Haruno, and..." The Hokage paused, then sighed with resignation as he braced himself. "... Sasuke Uchiha."

The kunoichi's eyes widened as all the color drained from her face.

"U-... U-chi-ha...?" She whispered in disbelief. "You... You put Naruto and Uchiha... on the same team?" Her eye started twitching. "With all due respect, Hokage-sama... HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MIND!?" She screeched.

Sarutobi and his assistant took a moment to bring their pinkies to their ears to stop the ringing.

"I assume you're going to explain how that's a problem?" Sarutobi asked the panicked woman.

"It's bad enough that everyone knows those two haven't gotten along during their time in the academy," The kunoichi fumed, "But if that Uchiha-brat learns about how Naruto was involved, that night..." She shuddered.

"Naruto never asked anything more about what happened that night." Sarutobi seemed to ponder. "Although he was obviously a little upset at Itachi's betrayal, he seemed to be unconcerned about the incident afterwards. I sincerely doubt that the topic will come up. They seemed to have entirely different viewpoints on the matter."

"That hardly makes me feel any better." The jounin huffed. "First you put those two together, then you assign Hatake as sensei, and..." She stopped, frowning yet again. At the rate she was going, she was going to set a new personal record with this conversation. "Wait a minute. Hatake... and an Uchiha? Oh, no, don't you dare tell me-"

"There was political _and _practical reasons behind the decision. And he _did _volunteer..." Sarutobi coughed awkwardly.

"Oh sure! Of _course _he volunteers for an Uchiha!" She threw her hands up. "Now I _know _it's a bad idea! There's no way the team will work out with him catering to that brats every whim!"

"...Do you realize the seriousness of what you're implying?" Sarutobi asked with hard eyes.

"I'm not implying, I'm saying! He'll completely ignore the others for that spoiled little snot! If you want to pamper the Uchiha, take him off the team and let Hatake be his personal _butt_-ler elsewhere! Don't let the careers of the other two be wrecked because that perverted mope can't see beyond the ghosts of his past!" The woman growled.

"And what happens if someone asks how exactly you are any different'?" Sarutobi jutted his chin slightly, making the kunoichi jerk back. She looked away for a moment, fighting her own memories.

"He trapped himself in one time of his life. I've been trying my hardest to move on with mine. I thought you knew that." She let out a slow breath. "All I want is to make sure Naruto is treated as an **equal **member of the team, but I won't deny that I'd also enjoy the chance to toughen up one of the next generation of kunoichi." She declared firmly.

"So you're accusing that Kakashi would favor Sasuke, while you don't want anything to do with him?" The old man raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't say that I don't want anything to do with him, I'm just saying that I wouldn't cut him any slack at all. Not for any of them." Her mouth twitched slightly with a tugging grin.

"Which brings up the matter of your preferred training methods. Not exactly appropriate for starting genin. Do you really think they could handle it?" Sarutobi crossed his arms.

"Well... I know one of them could..." She innocently eyed a ceiling fan. At the Hokage's disapproving look she shrugged. "Hey, it's not my fault that Naruto has the experience with pain that he does. The other two just need to be brought up to speed."

"Even if I were willing to concede all other points, despite your own experience and whatever efforts you would put forth to improve the genin, you wouldn't be able to assist Sasuke in the development of the sharingan, which would be neglect of a team resource." Sarutobi frowned, as if the words he had just said didn't sound right, even to himself.

"That's assuming the little princess ever even activates it, which I doubt. And even if he eventually does, he wouldn't be the first Uchiha who had to figure it out on his own." The jounin was on the verge of truly scowling.

"As the last Uchiha in the village, there is... pressure, to ensure that he does activate it, and is trained to his maximum ability." Now it was Sarutobi's turn to scowl, even as the kunoichi's face softened.

"Oh. So it wasn't just you ordering it." She sighed. "Stupid politics." She thought for a minute. "Alright, if it's a matter of worth that those old fossils are trying to push on you, answer me this. Which do you believe is more important, some spoiled clan gaki who expects to be placed on a pedestal and have a future handed to him, or someone who has willingly struggled through hell every day of his twelve years of life just because he has to keep the village safe from being turned into a burning crater? But still, it is _your_ decision to make." She gazed imploringly at him. "You didn't let me become Naruto's guardian after Itachi bolted, so please, at least give me this assignment. Kakashi just isn't capable of handling a team, especially one including those two. I swear to make sure they work their fingers to the bone. If I don't do a satisfactory job, I'll willingly step aside, and..." She smirked, "You can punish me in _any _way you want."

Despite her attempted levity, Sarutobi still kept a solemn face.

"The decision is final... this time. Kakashi will command team seven." He kept his eyes on the papers in front of him.

The kunoichi stood silent for a moment with her jaw clenched, then grabbed a blank paper and pen from the assistant to begin writing something. When she was done, she folded up the paper and handed it to Sarutobi.

"Give that to Hatake." She started to walk out. "And don't come crying to me when _your _mistake blows up in _Naruto's _face."

"BELIEVE ME!" Sarutobi shouted as he jumped to his feet. The woman paused. "The _last _thing I want, is to make any more mistakes regarding Naruto." The Hokage declared.

"Nice words. Too bad they're printed on red tape." The kunoichi said over her shoulder. "Now if you'll excuse me, Hokage-sama, I feel the desire to get smashed. I'm probably going to be a wreck for a while... depending how the genin tests go." She left with a dull tone and shadowed face.

Sarutobi sighed as he sat down again, rubbing his temples. He had a monumental sized headache, and he didn't like the fear that he may have brought it upon himself. Glancing to the side, he dismissed the assistant, who was very glad to finally get away. Once the man had left, Sarutobi looked at the folded note he was holding.

'_Damn it all. Even I know she would have been a better choice as a sensei for Naruto. But events just didn't work out right._' He pulled a paper out from a second folder that was laying on the table that had the list of new genin teams. '_And it's all Mizuki's fault. Delaying Naruto's progress and graduation, forcing me to put him in the last open team slot like he was some kind of dead-weight._' His grip on the paper tightened, wrinkling it slightly. '_The problem is, it is a legitimate team assignment. There's no outstanding practical reason to rearrange the roster assignments. If I try to reassign Naruto, I'll have a hundred people jumping on my back for no other reason than it gives them an excuse to make things difficult for him._' Sarutobi put all his papers away for the last time, and put the folded note safely in his pocket. He looked to the door where the jounin kunoichi had walked out. '_She thinks Kakashi will show favoritism to Sasuke because of the tragedy of his own team years ago. I can't help but wonder how both of them would react if they knew who Naruto really is. Unfortunately, it will probably be sometime yet before I can reveal the truth about Naruto, if ever._' Sarutobi gathered his work and headed out of the room. '_I just hope he doesn't beat the tar out of me when he finds out what I've been keeping from him..._'

As he walked out of the academy, people wondered why he had his hat pulled so low over his face.

* * *

Naruto made his way down the street, his hands in his pockets, his brow tense as a mild frown was stuck on his face.

"**I still can't believe they wasted that perfectly good picture. I mean, the idea was to look impressive for the ninja roster records, and I think you looked damned impressive. Certainly enough to make enemies fear you.**" Kyaena huffed, annoyed that Naruto's artistic effort had been for naught. But after a moment of silence, she addressed his current thoughts. "**Relax Naru-kun, you didn't hurt the boy that badly.**"

'_I shouldn't have hurt him at all!_' He snapped, kicking a stone. '_I don't want to become a bully or anything. And if he really was Old-Man's grandson, that was inexcusable. After a year of dealing with that idiot Duck-Butt, he's starting to rub off on me. But... I just couldn't stand being called a coward. He had no idea who I am, and no idea what I've been through._' He thought miserably. It was a moment before Kyaena responded.

"**But that's not really what's bothering you the most, is it?**" She asked so very softly. Naruto came to a halt.

'_I'll never let anyone call me a coward. But he was right about the other part. I am a liar._' He stared at his feet.

"**No you're NOT.**" Kyaena jumped up with a small growl.

'_I lie every single day._' Naruto looked around himself at the buildings and streets, but it was near lunchtime, so not may people were out and about. '_I lie every day to everyone around me. They see me as you, but they don't know truth about you. And I agree to their beliefs by acting like nothing is out of the ordinary. They think you're completely sealed away, with no ability to affect the world anymore. I lie every day to make sure they keep thinking that. I hate having to lie._' He shuffled his feet a bit as he resumed walking.

"**You're not lying! You're keeping a secret, and in doing so, you're protecting both of us!**" Kyaena hissed in rage. '**_Damn these ungrateful humans! Even when Naru-kun is trying to help them, make _them _feel safe, they make him feel bad about himself!_'**

'_Lying is lying. All I can do, is try to make it the only lie I ever tell._' He rubbed his head as every step made him feel a little worse. '_Damn. I have to find that kid and apologize. I can't believe I did that to-_' He stopped when he heard footsteps behind him, then a rustle. Naruto turned around to see a kind of ball of cloth, with a pair of sandaled feet sticking out under it. '_What the...?_' He blinked in surprise.

"**Well, it looks like you don't have to go searching for him.**" Kyaena's mouth twitched, sharing Naruto's disbelief at such a pitiful attempt at camouflage.

Naruto stared for a moment before slowly turning around again, starting back off the way he was going before. Sure enough, a second later, he heard footsteps behind him. When Naruto stopped walking again, he heard another rustle and a slight thump. He turned back to see a hanging cloth that was made to look like the fence they were next to, except that it was dirty. And turned sideways. And two hands and a tuft of hair were sticking out over the top. Naruto sweat-dropped slightly as he walked over to stand in front of the 'hidden' boy, and deliberately pulled it down.

"So, I'm guessing that there's a reason you're following me?" Naruto asked with a cautious tone.

"Ha ha! So, you saw through my disguise! I see that your reputation is well-earned!" Konohamaru had a ridiculous smile on as he pointed to Naruto. "Alright! I'll be your apprentice, and you'll be my trainer!"

"Wait, what?" Naruto backed up a step.

"Yeah! You just gotta teach me how to do that Sexy Jutsu that you used on grandpa-Hokage!" Konohamaru hopped up and down in excitement, even as Naruto was trying to wave him off.

"Whoa, hold on, slow down! You've gotta be kidding me!" Naruto choked out.

"Come on, please? I really need a new trainer! Please, please, please won't you say yes Boss?" Konohamaru pleaded franticly.

"What? Boss?" Naruto tilted his head quizzically at the boy, who took it as a sign of interest.

"Yeah! That's right, you're the Boss! Boss, Boss, Boss!" The hyperactive child stamped his feet in determination. Kyaena was struggling against her giggles.

"**Well, you wanted to apologize, so why not make it up to him by showing him the ropes for the rest of the day?**" She suggested while holding her paws over her nose in her mirth at the humorous situation developing.

Naruto sighed as he scratched the back of his head, looking down at the person in front of him. He figured he could either spend the rest of the day training himself, or the rest of the day training the boy. Either way, someone was going to train.

'_Well, as long as the time isn't wasted, I guess there's no harm in it._' He thought to himself, before focusing on his new temporary companion. "Ok, if you're really that determined, I guess I can give you some pointers... But only for the rest of today." Naruto said pointedly.

Konohamaru looked ecstatic for a split second before frowning.

"Hey, what do you mean, 'only for the rest of today'?" He whined.

"Because I only have today free. Tomorrow," Naruto paused as he lifted up his goggles to reveal his Hitai-ate, "I have my genin orientation. I'm going to be busy getting set up with my new team!" He smiled.

"WWHHHOOAAAA!" Konohamaru drop-jawed as his starry eyes gazed upon the metal plate with total envy. "THAT IS SO AWESOME!"

"Ah, yes, well, some certainly think that..." Naruto cleared his throat as he replaced his goggles. "Alright, let's head for the parks. I hope you can keep up." Naruto smirked as he suddenly leapt twenty feet up to the edge of a rooftop. He looked down at the even more stunned Konohamaru. "Well? Are you coming or not?" He asked as he turned and started off, leaving his temporary pupil scrambling to catch up, taking smaller jumps to try to reach the same levels that Naruto did.

The two boys raced across the village, Naruto making an effort to make sure it was an effort for the boy, whose name he still didn't know, to follow his path. Taking several detours of an indirect nature, and circling the market twice, by the time they reached the shady coolness of the park, poor Konohamaru was gasping for breath. He stumbled over and fell to his hands and knees in front of Naruto, who was calmly sitting cross-legged on top of a boulder with his arms folded.

"Wh-... Wha-... What was... the point of that?" Konohamaru panted. Naruto frowned.

"First question: Are you in the academy or not?" He asked with complete seriousness.

"Of course I am!" Konohamaru huffed, still trying to catch his breath as he sat down. "In fact I-"

"Stand up. Stay on your feet." Naruto interrupted.

"What!? Hey, I'm tired here!" The younger boy grumphed.

"If you're so exhausted after such a little jog as that, you're obviously not training anywhere near enough. That is, not if you intend to become a ninja." Naruto scolded mildly. '_Man, this is soooooo weird. Is this how Iruka-sensei feels when talking to the class?_' He thought privately.

"**I'm sure it'll only get weirder!**" Kyaena laughed uproarishly, her tails slapping down repeatedly.

'_Gee, thanks for the show of support._' Naruto thought sarcastically as he watched the ninja-wannabe in front of him stagger back to his feet. "Ok, since you evidently still have somewhat small chakra reserves, how-"

"Hey! Who're you calling small!?" Konohamaru objected. Naruto dragged a hand over his face as Kyaena lost it, rolling around as she proceeded to laugh her guts out.

"Your CHAKRA. I said your _chakra _reserves seem a bit on the small side." Naruto groaned. "You'll have to work on strengthening it. But on the upside, it should mean your chakra control will be easier to handle. How are you at that?" He pressed.

"Well, Four-Eyes-sensei hasn't really told me much beyond what the academy classes teach..." Konohamaru fidgeted slightly.

"In other words, you've had nearly zero practice." Naruto shook his head in disbelief. "Well, I can write down some exercises for you to do on your own later. But for now, please tell me you've at least _started _practicing the Transformation Jutsu? If not, this will have been a colossal waste of time." Naruto glared pointedly.

"Yeah, of course!" Konohamaru puffed out his chest.

"...Well then, show me how far along you are, and I take it from there." Naruto motioned for the boy to proceed.

"Uh, ok, but what should I transform into?" The youngling scratched the back of his head in confusion.

"Anyone. Just show me how much control you have. Trust me, the tricky part comes after that." Naruto smirked mischievously. "You see, it took me several months to get the hang of... well, I guess 'Sexy Jutsu' will have to do for a name after all. It may just be the Transformation Jutsu, but it takes lots of practice changing into all kinds of things to become comfortable with it. And the part that makes the Sexy Jutsu work, is the understanding of how you would be as a girl."

"Whoa. You're starting to sound more and more like the senseis at the academy." Konohamaru gaped wide-eyed.

"I'll try not to take that personally." Naruto snorted as Kyaena's sides were getting sore from all the laughing. "Ok, do one transformation, then I'll start explaining how to work out your own version of it."

"Alright Boss! Here I go! Transform!" Konohamaru shouted with a poof of smoke.

* * *

Ebisu had been searching the village for some time. But not having any immediate success finding his ward, Ebisu had rushed to the top of the mountain for a better observation point.

'_That filthy Uzumaki... What could he be doing to honorable grandson? It could only be something truly evil!_' He thought viciously as he scanned the streets and roofs of Konoha. '_I am an elite jounin! As one of a long line of senseis that have shaped and guided potential candidates for the illustrious position of the future Hokage, I cannot allow such a disaster to occur on my watch! I will crush any insect that dares cling to my student... even if it **is **a jinchuuriki!_' He snarled to himself.

Spotting a hint of orange between some trees at the edge of his view, he rushed off in search of his quarry.

* * *

Naruto dropped some change into the vending machine to get himself a drink. As he pulled the fruit juice can out, he looked over his shoulder at his temporary student, who was sipping a lemonade himself.

'_By Arceus__! Who the heck is this kid?_' Naruto thought as he walked back over to the log that the younger boy was sitting on. '_It took me **months **to become accustomed to the radical body shifting of the Transformation Jutsu, yet this gaki has made almost as much progress in just a couple hours!_' He ranted as he sat down and popped open his can.

"**I have no idea. But if he's really related to the Old-Man, well, it could be that innate skill runs in his blood. Or... It could be that you're just really that good as a sensei!**" Kyaena purred thoughtfully.

'_Somehow, I doubt that._' Naruto sighed. He turned to look at his company. "So, hey, if you don't mind my asking, what was going on with you and the Old-Man earlier? You seemed a bit... irked, at him."

The other boy paused with his drink, his head dipping down slightly in depression.

"My grandfather named me Konohamaru. After the ancient name of the village. He said it would bring me luck." He muttered. "You'd think that it would be easy to remember. But no one, not a single person in the whole village, ever calls me by my name. Because when they look at me, they don't see me. All they see is the honorable grandson of Hokage-sama." Konohamaru kicked a stone. Naruto's brow creased in concern at what he was hearing as he continued. "They don't see who I am, just who I'm related to. It's like I'm invisible, hidden away in grandpa's shadow, and I'm so sick of it. That's why... I want to become Hokage now, so people will know who I am!" Konohamaru balled up his fists on his knees in frustration. Naruto was struggling to keep his face neutral.

'_I don't believe this. He has our problem, only in reverse!_' Naruto realized. '_I bet if he had painted the mountain instead of me, they'd throw him a parade!_'

"**You know, demons never have this problem. You make your own name with your own deeds, or others will walk all over you. This is ridiculous. I can't believe the Hokage wouldn't try to help his own flesh and blood to work for his own life.**" Kyaena shook her head in disappointment.

Naruto pondered his next move.

"Even if you became Hokage today, and even if everyone came to know who you are, tell me, would there be anything for them to respect?" Naruto asked at last.

"Eh, what?" Konohamaru looked up with slight surprise, having been startled from his moopiness.

"What's the point of having a title if you haven't done anything to earn it? All that will do is let everyone know just how much of a nobody you are!" Naruto scoffed.

"WHAT!?" Konohamaru jumped up to glare angrily at the blonde, who gave back a hard stare of his own.

"Why do you think everyone respects your grandfather so much? It's not because of who he is, or his name, but because of what he's _done_. Because he's worked hard to gain the skill and experience necessary to hold the position of 'greatest ninja in the village'. You'll have to work your way up to get that." Naruto's serious face turned to a devilish smirk. "And of course, if you're going to prove you're the best... you'll have to get past me first before you get anywhere!"

Konohamaru could only blink with stunned silence at the challenge set before him.

"**Ok, now I'm sure you'd make a great sensei. You obviously got through to him with that statement.**" Kyaena purred in approval.

'_We'll see._' Naruto commented as he watched Konohamaru think.

* * *

Sarutobi stood on the top of the tower, gazing up at the mountain side. To one face in particular.

He had been standing in the one spot for a while. He had been thinking more and more about decisions he had made over the years, as well as more recent ones. Some had been easy. Some had been hard. Some seemed like the best option at the time. Some... he truly regretted. And the worst part, it seemed that those regretful decisions seemed to be growing in number. He knew he wasn't getting any younger, which only made things tougher.

'_I really need to get serious in my efforts to find a suitable successor._' Sarutobi sighed to himself. He was contemplating refilling his pipe that was in his mouth when he sensed a figure approaching him from behind.

"Hokage-sama! I've been looking for you." A still slightly bandaged Iruka approached his grand leader.

"For what reason?" Sarutobi didn't even bother turning.

"I just wanted to make sure, did Naruto submit his registry photo?" Iruka took a respectful place behind the Hokage.

"Yes. Submitted, and re-submitted." Sarutobi rubbed his nose slightly.

"What? Re-submitted? What was wrong with the first one?" Iruka tilted his head slightly in confusion.

"... This **is** Naruto we're talking about." Sarutobi coughed slightly to cover his surprise at such a ridiculous question. Iruka sweat-dropped.

"Right, what was I thinking." Iruka sighed, shaking his head. "I could have sworn I asked him to be presentable."

"I'm sure you did." Sarutobi chuckled. "But did you ever specify what you wanted him presented as?" Iruka double-sweat-dropped.

"No, I suppose not." Iruka paused for a moment before continuing in a more serious tone. "You know, I tried to give Naruto a lecture last night, at Ichiraku's. But... it... didn't go the way I hoped. I tried to warn him about how hard and dangerous a ninja's life is-"

"Oh dear. He didn't loose his temper did he?" Sarutobi interrupted in concern.

"Well... I'm still not entirely sure what happened. But he showed me, um, _evidence_," Iruka cleared his throat nervously, "That the village has been far more... harsh, on him than I ever thought. And yet, he's still so determined to prove his worth to them. He wants to earn everyone's respect, and thinks that becoming a genin is a step in the direction to that end."

Sarutobi was silent for several moments after Iruka stopped speaking as he continued to gaze up at the mountain side.

"I'm afraid that what Naruto seeks... may never come within his reach. People have never been able to change that easily, especially in regards to such a tragic matter. Something that is even harder to overcome than any mundane problem." Sarutobi said solemnly.

"What do you mean?" Iruka asked with serious interest.

"... You are aware that the Kyuubi no Kitsune is sealed within Naruto. Not everyone knows this of course, only those of us that were adults at the time of the disaster twelve years ago know the truth. But even then I had to decree that no one could speak of those events, lest they face the harshest of punishments." Sarutobi couldn't help but wince at the unpleasant memory. It seemed as if far too much had happened all too quickly in only a single night...

"... It was very fortunate that Naruto didn't believe that traitor Mizuki when he tried to reveal it..." Iruka commented.

"Indeed. I wish I could ask Naruto what was going through his mind at the time, but of course I can't without raising unwanted questions." Sarutobi shook his head. "Mizuki was a complete fool. He knew the penalty for breaking the decree, and to even attempt to tell it directly to Naruto... He won't be seeing the light of day for a long time." He paused for a moment to fill and light his pipe. "The children have been spared the knowledge. As long it remains secret from the younger generation, Naruto may have a chance at some degree of acceptance. That was the wish of the Yondaime Hokage." Sarutobi sighed as Iruka stood wide-eyed. "Before he sacrificed himself to save us, he asked that when Naruto grew up, that he be regarded as a hero." Sarutobi let out a long puff on his pipe.

"A hero?" Iruka paled at the information. "But no one... I mean... The village... What's happened to Naruto..."

"To achieve the seemingly impossible, to defeat the power of an ancient demon, the Yondaime had to sacrifice himself to seal the fox into a newborn infant, whose umbilical cord had just been cut. Only with such an extreme sacrifice of two lives could the fox be defeated, as it had never been done before. By containing the spirit of the demon within his body, Naruto saved the village from destruction. That's why he's a hero." Sarutobi's head dipped slightly before he continued. "I hate always having to wonder how many more like Mizuki there are. People who look at Naruto with hatred. The people who fear that the fox will one day take over his body. And the worst... The people who actually think that Naruto **is** the fox, taken human form. Their treatment of Naruto has been so contemptuous and hostile, that sadly, their behavior has come to be emulated by some of their children, even though they have no idea of the truth. And all this was in the beginning. It became even worse after an event five or so years ago, an event that transformed the villagers hate and contempt for Naruto... into fear." Sarutobi's brow creased at his own words.

"You mean, the incident with the Uchiha?" Iruka asked in a whisper. "I still remember the rumors that spread at that time. Before what really happened got out, people thought it was..." He gulped, "...the demon. They were afraid it was getting free. They were afraid they might all be killed. Even after the people learned that wasn't the case, they were still afraid of the possibility. They became afraid of Naruto." Iruka shuddered slightly.

"Do you know what the ancients said about such things, Iruka?" Sarutobi asked, never once having turned around. "When the people hate so intently that they would deny someone's very existence, then look at that person, their eyes turn cold. Colder than an ice storm in the deepest winter. Naruto has seen these kind of eyes all his life. He's aware of them, as I have seen him looking back at others who watch him when he so much as walks down a street."

The two ninja stood in silence for a few moments before it became too uncomfortable for Iruka.

"Well, if you'll excuse me Hokage-sama, I guess I should be going..." Iruka started to turn before stopping. "Oh, just one more thing."

"Yes? What is it?" Sarutobi asked.

"Um... Just out of curiosity, do you happen to have a copy of that first registry photo that Naruto submitted? I'm a little curious..." Iruka shrugged.

"Yes. Here." Sarutobi reached into his robes to pull out a medium sized sheet paper.

"May I?" Iruka asked politely as he walked over and took the paper.

Sarutobi turned to watch as Iruka turned over the paper to look at Naruto's photo. Iruka stared at it for a full five seconds before his eyes glassed over, he went deathly white, and fainted on the spot. Sarutobi looked down at the unconscious chunin as he puffed on his pipe.

'_Hmm. Perhaps I was a little quick to make Naruto take another photo. That was certainly a... impressionable reaction. It helps in a ninja's life to have a certain intimidation factor. All it would take is a change of wardrobe, and I bet Naruto could build quite the reputation for himself in not too long a time._' Sarutobi mused as he nudged his subordinate with his foot.

* * *

Naruto had been watching Konohamaru think for a few minutes when he heard rustles in the trees behind him. He went stiff when he felt the familiar hostility settle over him.

"**Company.**" Kyaena growled.

'_Damn. Not now..._' Naruto hissed.

"I've found you!" Called a voice from above.

'_... What, no sneak attack?_' Naruto wondered as he and Konohamaru turned to see who had shown up.

Up on a tree branch stood a black-dressed man with sunglasses. Naruto vaguely recalled that it was the same man that he had seen at the academy earlier.

'_That filthy wretch. Naruto... The Kyuubi no Kitsune..._' Ebisu sneered down at the pair. Naruto flinched under his icy stare.

'_Oh great, that's all we need. Another stupid Tail-Hunter._' Naruto scowled back up at the man.

Tail-Hunter. It was a term Naruto and Kyaena had thought up a few years back. Naruto didn't really like harboring resentment towards the villagers, but there were always a few that just seemed to really rub him the wrong way. They thought of the term based off the implication that those people would love to hunt down Naruto to kill him, thereby killing Kyaena, then take her tails as trophies... if it were possible. It was never pleasant to think about it, but it happened anyway. No way around it.

Ebisu leapt down from the tree and approached the two boys.

"Honorable grandson, it's time that you should return home." He announced with a confident tone as he adjusted his glasses. Konohamaru jumped up instantly.

"No way! I'm learning how to beat my grandpa so I can get the title of Hokage! Don't get in my way!" The exceptionally loud boy shouted.

"Sounds like he doesn't want to go with you." Naruto commented

"Silence Uzumaki! I will not have you corrupting my student with your nonsense!" Ebisu snapped.

"Shut up! He's a better teacher than you are!" Konohamaru yelled, causing both Ebisu and Naruto to give a start. "At least I can understand his directions! He doesn't talk like a text book!"

"**See? I told you that you'd make a good sensei.**" Kyaena smirked.

'_Huh. Well imagine that._' Naruto kept his eyes on Ebisu who began to walk towards them.

"No no honorable grandson, you must not listen to him. He can not teach you the things you need to know. To be Hokage, one must understand virtue, justice, ceremony, wisdom, loyalty, faithfulness, prudence and be skilled in a thousand jutsu! You don't even know one jutsu!" Ebisu rambled on, but Konohamaru had heard enough.

"Transform!" With a poof of smoke, where there was once a small dark haired boy, now stood a taller, older, nakeder, gorgeous dark haired girl. "How's THIS for a jutsu?" The girl called sweetly while posing.

Ebisu froze as his jaw dropped down, and he gave two full head-to-toe-to-head shivers. But he was still standing.

'_Interesting. Did that look like a restrained reaction to you?_' Naruto eyed Ebisu curiously.

"**Could be. I think he would need an extra push to get the full effect.**" Kyaena agreed as Konohamaru poofed back to himself.

"What? Why didn't that work?" He whined.

"WH-WH-WHAT KIND OF DISGRACEFUL JUTSU WAS THAT!?" Ebisu howled in outrage, despite a slight redness to his cheeks. "Such things are not fit for the eyes of a gentleman! I would never fall for such outrageous vulgarity! I am far above such things!" He declared, making Naruto's eye twitch. Ebisu reached over and grabbed at Konohamaru's scarf, trying to pull the boy away. "Honorable grandson you must stop this at once! That Uzumaki brat is turning you into a delinquent! Do you want to be seen as an imbecile!? Only with MY teachings will you gain the fast shortcut to becoming Hokage!" Ebisu pulled on the scarf in his hand. Naruto's eye twitched.

"No, no, no! Just leave me alone! Go away!" Konohamaru fumed as he struggled to pull in the opposite direction.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto's shout caused the two feuding individuals to pause and look over in time to see dozens of Naruto's come into being spread across the field. Konohamaru's eyes looked like they were about to pop.

"WHHOOOAAA! This is... WOW! Incredible!" He gaped, looking back and forth to all the Naruto's who were glaring at Ebisu.

"You dare to call yourself a sensei?" Asked one.

"Though you have no regard for your students opinions?" Said another.

"And now you're lying about training him!?" Growled a third.

"THAT'S DESPICABLE!" They all shouted in unison.

Ebisu sneered as he let go of Konohamaru, and walked out into the midst of the Naruto's.

"Ha! I'm not impressed. I'm a jounin, an elite ninja! I'm not some lightweight paper pusher like Mizuki!" He adjusted his glasses. "Oh yes, I heard all about your little night run! And for someone who was so worthless as to be dumped by your own teacher, you have no right to lecture me! Now, watch closely honorable grandson, and see how a real ninja defeats an upstart!" He took an anticapritory pose.

Konohamaru looked back and forth between Naruto(s) and Ebisu, before settling on the blondes.

"Come on boss..." He muttered.

* * *

Sarutobi, having seen to Iruka earlier, sat in his scrying room, watching the events transpire in his crystal ball.

'_Naruto may have been fortunate against Mizuki, but this might be a little out of his league._' Sarutobi frowned around his pipe. '_Ebisu had better be smart enough not to hurt him too badly, especially in front of Konohamaru. I'll have to speak to him later about his attitude... That is, if Tetsuko leaves anything left of him._'

* * *

Ebisu stood waiting in the middle of his opponents.

"Well? Ready?" He jibed.

"Transform!" The thirty or so Naruto's called out as the field was covered in smoke. As the smoke cleared, Ebisu couldn't believe his eyes.

The field was now filled with thirty or so Konohamaru's.

Ebisu was too stunned to realize that they were all running around erratically, so he didn't notice where the real Konohamaru got lost in the commotion. Suddenly the group of boys came to a halt surrounding the dumbfounded jounin.

"Well, what are you waiting for Four-Eyes-sensei? I thought you were going to teach Naruto a lesson!" One of the Konohamaru's shouted.

"But it seems you're getting cold feet!" Shouted another.

"Of course he is! If he mistakenly hits the real me, he's going to be in BIG trouble!" Jeered a third.

Ebisu was in an absolute panic and was sweating bullets.

'_Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! This can't be happening!_' He rapidly scanned all the identical boys around him, desperately looking for any giveaway sign of which was the real Konohamaru. '_Even if there **are **thirty Naruto's, if I hit the real honorable grandson by accident, there's no telling what Hokage-sama would do to me!_' Ebisu cautiously cleared his throat once. "Um, n-now then... honorable grandson... You should... Um... Oh!" Ebisu suddenly reached into his pocket and pulled out some change. "Why don't you get yourself a drink from the vending machines over there?" He asked hopefully.

"Naruto already got me a drink!" All the Konohamaru's chorused.

"You know, he's looking a bit stressed out!" One said.

"Maybe he could think better if he had a drink!" Another added.

"Nah, we just need to take some pressure off him!" Suggested a third.

"Ok then, Transform!" They all shouted as Ebisu was again surrounded with smoke.

This time, as the smoke dissipated, Ebisu found himself confronting a swarm of naked blonde girls who all began grabbing at him. Whatever they were saying was lost on Ebisu as he choked, shuddered, then was thrown out of their reach by the rocket that was his bloody nose.

As the unresponsive man lay twitching on the ground, another, and last, burst of smoke rose and cleared to reveal a smirking Naruto alongside an awe-struck Konohamaru.

"And that," Naruto turned to his companion, "Is called the stun-and-strike!" He smiled.

"AWESOME!" Konohamaru cheered.

"**Naruto Uzumaki!**" Kyaena hissed in disaproval. "**Don't you dare get any perverted ideas with that! If you think I'm going to let you flaunt some kind of personal Harem Jutsu, forget it! Honestly, that transformation was originally meant to help you understand human females, so you should consider yourself lucky I allow you to use it that way at all! But to go and EXPAND on it, after all my lectures about perverts, to think that you-**"

Naruto winced slighty at his furry partner's ongoing rant.

* * *

Sarutobi sat stunned as he considered what he had just seen in his crystal.

'_Naruto certainly has a gift for deceptive transformations. It will be interesting to see that skill applied to his ninja career. And to combine his Sexy Jutsu with the Shadow Clone Jutsu... I don't know if I'd even survive that one._' He reached over and picked up his handkerchief to dab at his bloody nose.

* * *

Naruto looked down at his handiwork, and nodded to himself. Leaving the still unresponsive Ebisu tied-up to a tree, he walked back over to Konohamaru who seemed to be upset.

"Aw man! I couldn't even trick Four-Eyes-sensei! I want to be Hokage so badly, but I keep messing up! Why can't I do it!?" Konohamaru stamped his foot on the ground in frustration.

"Because you're too impatient. And after hearing what that... sensei, of yours said, now I understand why." Naruto said as he stood in front of his temporary tutee.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Konohamaru tilted his head curiously. Naruto sighed as he crossed his arms.

"Look, I know what your going through. In the beginning, I want to skip right to the top too. But like I was saying earlier, if you don't earn that position, it won't mean anything. You have to prove to everyone that they can trust and believe in you. Being Hokage means you have to be the greatest ninja, and person, in the village." Naruto looked down at his feet as he kicked at the grass. "I'm not that much older than you, but I've already been through so much already. It's been one hardship and struggle after another. I was nearly alone for most of my life, save for one person who believed in me. For the longest time, she was the _only _one who believed in me. And to get to the point that I was able to find others who were willing to look at me without hatred or pity, I had already been forced to face those who were bound and determined to get in my way and make me fail." Naruto reached down and opened his holster on his leg, pulling out his most trusted weapon. Giving it a single spin, he held it out. "Here. Look at this."

"What? It's just a kunai." Konohamaru shrugged.

"Look again. Doesn't it seem strange?" Naruto asked patiently. After a second, Konohamaru's eyebrows rose in surprise.

"Hey, why is the metal red?" He asked as he leaned a little closer to look at the hand held blade.

"This is the first kunai I ever got. I wasn't even quite five when I got this, and I've kept it ever since. I know that in itself may not sound all that special, but you should know, that when I first got it, it was a normal kunai, with a normal color." Naruto paused to let Konohamaru absorb that fact. "You see, I train every day I can, in every way I can, as hard as I can. Some might even say I'm too hard on myself, border lining on brutal. And I've used this kunai all through it. But of course, everyone messes up on occasion, and I've had more than my share of accidents. The reason the metal of this kunai is red..." Naruto paused again as Konohamaru's eyes widened. "... Is because it has been stained with my own blood so many times."

Konohamaru took a step back as he gave a nervous gulp.

"Th-th-... That's scary..." He muttered.

"Being a ninja is hard. Painful. Sometimes, even lonely. But if being a ninja is something you're serious about, _be serious _about it!" Naruto pointed to Ebisu. "If he wants you to recite shinobi rules of conduct, do push-ups while you do so! If he wants you to run laps around a field, take some shuriken and practice your aim while you run! Make whatever you do into more than it is! If you never push yourself, you'll never improve!" Naruto trained a serious look on his riveted audience. "And yes, there will be people, however few, that will try to tell you that you're no good. That you'll never achieve anything. They'll make you feel horrible about yourself, and some days you might even doubt why you should bother with all this hard work. But no matter what happens, no matter what they say that might make you consider trying to find some easy way to the top, you absolutely have to remember one critical truth." Naruto stared down his junior.

"Oh yeah? What truth is that?" Konohamaru demanded to know.

"There-are-_**NO**_-shortcuts!" Naruto shouted out to the world so loudly, a group of birds were startled out of the nearby trees with loud rustling as they took to the air. "Could you look at yourself in the mirror if you knew you didn't try your hardest? Do you think the village would respect a Hokage who just settled for 'easy'? Either you commit yourself to this... or don't insult real ninja by wasting peoples time." Naruto slammed his kunai back into it's holster as he waited for Konohamaru's reaction.

"**Ok, if you're trying to make up for your slip before, you've done it.**" Kyaena purred as she also waited for Konohamaru's response.

The boy in question stood looking up at Naruto, his face a little red from the overload of information that had come crashing down on him. To him, it was like he had just crammed a month of _real _lessons into just one afternoon. All of Naruto's words kept echoing in his head, including...

If you're going to prove you're the best... you'll have to get past me first before you get anywhere!

Konohamaru turned away from Naruto with a huff.

"Ha! Who do you think you are, lecturing me like that!? You're not so hot, are you?" He turned his nose up, but Naruto only smirked at his reaction. "Well, forget it! I won't be your apprentice any longer! In fact, from this day on, we're eternal rivals! Got it?" Konohamaru tried to glare at Naruto, but it turned into a chuckling smile.

"Well, isn't that just fine. This was a one-day thing anyway, because tomorrow, I get assigned into my genin team. However..." Naruto let a huge foxy smile free. "I accept your challenge to be my rival. But keep in mind that you have a lot of catching up to do. You'll have to train as hard as you can if you intend to compete with me for the title of Hokage!" Naruto glanced up at the setting light of the sky. "Well, I've got to get going now. But don't think you can slack off! Because I might just check up on you from time to time! You got that, Konohamaru?" He smirked one last time as he waved and headed off.

Konohamaru gave a happy salute to his now former sensei, before turning to go untie his existing sensei.

In the trees, Tetsuko finished up the notes she had been writing in her personal scroll.

'_Boy, Naruto-kun is on a roll. I guess he wanted to get the most out of his day before getting put into active duty. He's just one fantastic surprise after another._' She put her scroll away and watched as Konohamaru picked up Ebisu. '_Mr. Four-Eyes there wanted to attack Naruto-kun. Maybe I should give him a little scare later tonight to dissuade him from future attempts, especially if Naruto-kun has taken interest in the honerabl- I mean, Konohamaru-san_.' She smirked to herself under her mask as she leapt away silently.

* * *

Sarutobi leaned back in his chair with a smile on his face.

'_Thank you Naruto. For helping Konohamaru discover the true path of the ninja. ... ... But why did you have to teach him the Sexy Jutsu?_' He shook his head in exasperation. '_Well, I guess Naruto had to pass his pranking torch to someone._'

He reached for a folder on his desk to get back to his paperwork, since it seemed as if the chaos was over for the day.

* * *

Having gotten dinner, washed and changed, Naruto stood in his room in his apartment, arranging his cloths and equipment for tomorrow.

"**I think you're over doing it.**" Kyaena commented. Naruto checked over his equipment selection.

'_No, I'm just trying to be prepared, considering I have no idea what the genin exam will be. But I'm fairly sure it won't be a written exam._' He said as he zipped up his stuffed backpack.

"**A little nervous, are we?**" Kyaena tried to sound playful, but was actually nervous herself. '**_If they fail him this time, after what he's just gone through... It'll be terrible for him._'**

'_I don't know. I guess. Only about the jounin sensei, though. I'm trying to think how they would test teamwork for the squad._' Naruto kicked his slippers off as he climbed in bed.

"**It'll probably depend on what your squad's skill composition is, which will be determined by who your teammates are.**" She explained.

'_Yeah, makes sense._' Naruto agreed. Several moments passed before he gave a chuckle. '_It's a shame Konohamaru isn't in the graduation class._'

"**You like him, don't you?**" Kyaena smiled.

'_Weeeelllll... He does seem to have a certain, shall I say... foxy spirit, about him?_' Naruto shook his head to the empty room. '_I mean, come on. To be able to handle transforming so easily so quickly? That kid has to be part chameleon or something._'

"**First you call him a fox, then a chameleon? Make up your mind. Is he a mammal or an amphibian?**" Kyaena snorted.

'_Reptile. Chameleons are reptiles. Nice try though._' Naruto chuckled.

"**Heh, yes, that's correct.**" She snickered. "**Don't think that I'm going to let up on you just because you've graduated the academy. Every day is a day to learn and to train until...**" Kyaena prompted.

'_...Until I'm stronger than I was yesterday. Until my hands can move the mountains and my feet can walk on the sky. Until my eyes can see the spirit and my heart can... can..._' Naruto trailed off from his self-enforced dogma as he nibbled at his lip.

"**...Until your heart can rest without fear.**" Kyaena slowly finished for him.

'_... I'm sorry. I just can't ever seem to say it, and believe it._' Naruto whispered shamefully.

"**It will come true someday. One way or another.**" Kyaena growled ever so slightly, then instantly switched to smiles again. "**But I've got to admit, it would sure be funny to see what you _and _Konohamaru could do to the nerves of a sensei. If he were your teammate, I'd never be bored again.**" She giggled.

'_Yep, the kid's got talent, that's for sure. I really will want to check on him once in a while._' Naruto smiled to himself. '_To think, even if it was only for an afternoon, someone looking up to me._'

"**Somehow, I doubt he stopped when you parted ways. Just don't give him any reason to stop.**" Kyaena purred with approval, despite her attempted scolding tone.

Naruto turned off his light as he pulled his sheet up over himself.

'_Just so we're clear on this, I am not, nor will I ever be, a pervert. I only use that jutsu **against **perverts. You know that._' He sighed as he started to drift off. '_You know, I don't get nearly enough opportunities to say this... but I think... that today... was a **good **day._'

A few minutes after Naruto was asleep, Kyaena finally curled up herself.

'_**Why do I have the horrible feeling that it will be a long time before he says that again?**_' She frowned to herself.

* * *

Konohamaru was in bed, just barely on the edge of sleep... when he sat up straight with a jolt.

"HEY! Naruto still owes me a pair of underwear!" He fumed.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER

* * *

Author's Notes:

Ok, so this chapter wasn't quite as long as the previous ones, but it's because I left out a few scenes that wouldn't have worked in this story. I leaned a bit more towards magna than anime in this chapter.

Konohamaru has always struck me as a major 'potential' character. I've always wanted to see more of him, and honestly, you could probably make a mini spin-off series just about his team with Moegi and Udon. And Ebisu, of course... (cough)

Even in cannon, it strikes me as strange that Konohamaru would take such an instant interest in Naruto, especially after their rough first meeting. But seeing as how my version of Naruto couldn't bring himself to actually HIT him, I had to come up with something else that would leave an... impression. Fear the power of the wedgie.

In cannon, Naruto makes a big deal about how Sasuke was the first to acknowledge him. That is obviously incorrect, since it is clearly Konohamaru who shows Naruto respect first (in his own very young way). So as far as I'm concerned, Naruto and Konohamaru meeting was one of the most important events in the early series. I'm hoping to be able to include Konohamaru more in my story, even if it has to be only short appearances.

Concerning Ebisu, I didn't really want to have to cut out the Harem Jutsu, but I knew it would have to go just the tiniest bit differently. And having Kyaena chew him out over it seemed funny to me. And I'll leave what Tetsuko does to him to your imagination.

Naruto's registration photo was obviously a open opportunity. I knew I had to have Naruto do something, but the question was, what? I'm not sure where they got the idea for that kabuki look in cannon, but I knew that considering Kyaena's influence, Naruto's inspiration would turn out different. So I went for the fox look. There wasn't a whole lot of choice. But I like the mental picture anyway.

This chapter is the first that I uses the underlined flashback flash. Since I try to avoid using underlines whenever possible in the main writing, I decided that it would help to identify one-shot flashbacks of events or things that were said, without having to do an entire (FLASHBACK - END FLASHBACK) thing. I don't think I'll have to use it that often in these early chapters, but I could be wrong. I hope that they work out in making the story easier to read, and easier to write.

At the date that I post this chapter, be aware that I have made very small changes to all the previous chapters. I will undoubtedly continue to modify chapters over time as I think of details that I missed the first time around. At the moment, as I said, they're small changes, but I do it to make sure that I'll have consistent 'attitude' throughout the story.

To answer the next batch of reviews:

Most of them were general approval, so thank you. But I would like to apologize to people who were hoping for a different team group for Naruto. There are plenty of stories out there that have Naruto getting different teammates, and even more that have Naruto leaving the village to hook up with even stranger groups. I planned this story as a challenge to myself to see how different Naruto's interaction with team seven would be if he had the Kyuubi's cooperation from the start. If I were to remove Naruto from Sakura and Sasuke, or remove them from him as it were, there's no guarantee that those two would end up any different. By putting them with Naruto, or putting him with them as it were, then changing Naruto, there's a chance they would change. Not much of a chance, but at least a small chance. A very small chance. I think. Maybe.

So, that being said, it will be the standard team seven, and next chapter is where it all starts!... ... Or ends, depending on your point of view.

Thank you for your time.

* * *

This chapter edited:

5-17-2013


	5. SOTS,1,01,04

(AN: For disclaimer, see my profile, and also, help me with my goal to have it possible for submissions to display colored text!)

* * *

**SOTS-1-01-04**

**Soul of the Seal - Story 1 - Arc 1 - Chapter 4**

**Chapter 4 - "In the Grinder of War, 'Team' is Just 'Meat' Mislabeled."**

* * *

The sun hadn't even topped the horizon when Naruto Uzumaki jumped out of bed. A short rinse in the shower, then a hearty breakfast passed quickly before he changed into the cloths he had set out with his equipment the night before.

A kunai and shuriken holster strapped to each leg, double ninkit packs on his back belt, and a backpack stuffed with as much of a variety of tools and equipment that Naruto could arrange. As he tightened his Hitai-ate on his head and slipped his goggles into his backpack, Kyaena sighed as he pulled the straps of the heavy pack up onto his shoulders.

"**I said it last night, I'll say it again. I think you're over doing it.**" She yawned.

'_Not a chance. I'm so close to finally being a ninja. I refuse to be unprepared for whatever the genin exam will be._' Naruto replied as he exited his apartment, locking the door behind him. '_But I swear, if I see a single questionnaire paper..._'

"**Well, the likelihood of a written exam in this case is ridiculous. So don't worry. And will you calm down please? I doubt if even half the village is up yet.**" Kyaena yawned again, before shaking her head to clear it.

'_It's not my fault that most of the people in the village are lazy idiots._' Naruto snorted as he leapt down to street level. Since there wasn't hardly anyone around yet, he liked to walk down the street when the opportunity presented itself. It let him at least pretend to feel normal.

"**Some people just don't have a reason to get up in the morning.**" Kyaena observed as she cleaned her tails.

Naruto made his way through the streets heading for the academy. He passed the occasional person who were poking their heads out windows and such as they were waking up, and tried to ignore their stares.

As he was turning down one street however, he stopped when he noticed a section of fence that was sideways. And dirty. And had two hands and a tuft of hair poking over the top. Naruto couldn't help but smirk as Kyaena giggled.

'_Well well. Look who else got up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed._' Naruto eyed the 'hidden' boy from a distance.

"**As much as I'd like to find out what kind of craziness you two could cook up, your effort of getting up early this morning will be wasted if you get overly distracted.**" Kyaena noted with a tinge of disappointment.

'_Yeah, unfortunately._' Naruto shook his head and started forward again.

As he was about to walk past, just before the 'hidden' opponent could make a move, Naruto whipped out six kunai that imbedded into the sheet, three to a side, pinning the boy to the fence.

"Wak! Hey! Lemme go!" Konohamaru struggled against his cover-turned-restraint.

Naruto walked over and lightly rapped his knuckle on the top of the boy's head, making him go still.

"So. Is there something you wanted to talk to me about, Konohamaru?" Naruto asked in amusement as he leaned against the wall, crossing his arms.

"Ha! So you saw through my disguise again! That was a slick move Naruto! That's why I respect you as a rival!" Konohamaru's muffled words seeped through the cloth still holding him in place.

"Oh, of course, no doubt!" Naruto tried to hold in his chuckling as he watched Konohamaru make another futile attempt to free himself.

"Alright then! I challenge you to a match! We'll make it fair and square!" The enthusiastic boy declared. Naruto stifled a laugh.

"Um, you've seem to forgotten three things. One, as I told you yesterday, today is my orientation where I'm going to be assigned to a genin team, so I'm on my way to the academy. Two, seeing how easily you were worn out after a little run during the lessons yesterday, you have a long way to go to catch up to me to be a real challenge. And three..." Naruto reached up to lightly tap his knuckles on Konohamaru's head once. "... You're still stuck to the fence, and at my mercy."

It was several moments before Konohamaru responded.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so." He said in a subdued tone. "... So, are you going to let me go, or what?" He snapped in annoyance.

Naruto continued to snicker as he pulled his kunai out of the fence and put them back into his holsters. Konohamaru folded up his camouflage while grumbling to himself. Naruto frowned slightly.

"Hey, none of that." He snapped, making Konohamaru look up in surprise. "Have you already forgotten what I said yesterday? You have to work at your skills. It's going to be hard, and it's going to take TIME. You can't let yourself be discouraged so easily. All that will do is make you feel bad about yourself, which won't help anything." Naruto smiled and ruffled his friends hair a bit. "I'll see you later."

Konohamaru smirked a bit at the encouraging words as Naruto walked away, but then gave a start.

"Hey, wait a minute Naruto!" Konohamaru raced back over in front of Naruto, who raised a questioning eyebrow. "You owe me a pair of underwear!" Konohamaru pointed accusingly at the taller boy.

"What?" Naruto blinked in confusion. "Why would you-"

"**From the wedgie you gave him yesterday.**" Kyaena offered, struggling against her giggles. Naruto went wide-eyed.

"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that." He admitted sheepishly with a sweatdrop as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Look, I'm sorry, I don't have time to deal with it right now. But we'll get together later, and I promise to take care of that with you."

"Where will we meet?" Konohamaru asked.

"If I'm not out in the training fields, you're best bet is to find me at the Ichiraku Ramen... Hut? ... Stand? Restaurant?" Naruto tilted his head slightly. "Funny, I never really thought about that. It's kind of a bar setup, but it-"

"**Naru-kun, you need to get going!**" Kyaena interrupted urgently, snapping Naruto's attention.

"Oh! Yeah! Sorry Konohamaru, I've got to go! I'll see you later! Promise!" Naruto called as he ran off to get to the academy.

Konohamaru stood silently for a minute, looking where Naruto had gone, before turning to go find the Ichiraku Ramen Shop that his grandfather often mentioned.

'_Naruto is a bit weird. But I like him!_' He thought happily. '_Whoever runs the Ichiraku shop must be really nice for grandpa and Naruto to both like it so much!_'

* * *

At Ichiraku's, that was just opening for the morning, Ayame was in the middle of handing a bowl of soapy water to her father when she sneezed violently, splashing Teuchi with the sudsy liquid.

Ayame could only offer an embarrassed smirk.

* * *

Naruto managed to get to the academy only slightly later than he intended, and still early enough that there was hardly anyone around. He made his way to his homeroom, just getting there as the door opened and Iruka walked out.

"Oh, morning Naruto. Eager to get started today?" Iruka asked with a smile.

"Absolutely!" Naruto smiled back with a dramatic salute. "I'm not going to be left behind any more!"

Iruka blinked as he noticed all the gear Naruto was sporting.

"Uh, Naruto... Why are you carrying a weapons store?" He asked slowly. Naruto blinked.

"Hey, you're the one who said the jounin sensei might test us as soon as teams are assigned. I just came prepared, that's all." Naruto shrugged.

"Oh, yeah. Alright." Iruka nodded in understanding. "Well, go ahead in and take a seat. The others graduates should be showing up soon. I just have to go take care of a little paperwork, and I'll be back when class is ready to start. But there isn't going to be much happening. I'm just going to be assigning the team groups, then you meet your senseis after lunch." Iruka walked away, giving a wave to Naruto.

Naruto entered the empty classroom, and randomly chose an aisle seat on the right hand side. He slipped his backpack off and put it under the desk next to his seat as he sat down with a sigh. He sat in silence for a few minutes, glancing up at the black board. It just had 'Genin Orientation' written across it.

'_So. Who do you think I'll be teamed with?_' Naruto asked.

"**I have no idea. It depends on what kinds of teams they're looking to make.**" Kyaena shrugged. "**All I can say is who I _hope _you'll be teamed with.**"

'_Uh-huh. Then who do you _hope _I'll be teamed with?_' Naruto rolled his eyes. '_I'm thinking... Shikamaru or Choji... Kiba would be a hassle, though not entirely unpleasant... And even after all the times I've seen him in action, I don't know enough about Shino to guess where he's going._'

"**It does seem a bit strange that Shino always seems to keep a distance from you. I don't know why though. But as far as who _I_ want you teamed with...**" Kyaena's nose twitched as she smiled. "**Shikamaru and Hinata.**"

'_Oh really?_' Naruto's eyebrows rose as he noticed a few other graduate students beginning to enter through the classroom door. '_And just why would you choose those two? Especially considering that Hinata can't have spoken more than a dozen words to me in the last three years?_'

"**Now now, don't jump to conclusions.**" Kyaena waved off innocently. "**I'm thinking about your skill collection. Shikamaru is a mid-range delay and support unit with those shadow jutsu of his clan. And he's a tactical genius to boot.**"

Naruto gave an aborted cough-snort.

'_Shikamaru? A genius? You're kidding, right?_' He asked skeptically as he shifted in his seat. There were now a large number of students filling into the room and taking seats. Naruto's mouth and cheeks twitched slightly as his whiskers began tingling. '_Dang it, why now?_' He wondered as he reached up and rubbed his cheeks briefly to try to alleviate the feeling.

"**I'm serious. Shikamaru is a strategic genius. No one can be that obsessed with shogi, and not be one. And as for Hinata,**" Kyaena tried to keep the grin out of her voice, "**The byakugan is as perfect a scouting and reconnaissance ability as you could ask for. So she would be the main intel gatherer, probably not going out into direct combat, but she does have her clan's fighting style to use if she is forced to ward off an attacker.**" She flicked her tails back and forth with anticipation. "**Combine the two of them with your quickly growing power force as the primary combat member of the team, especially considering your Shadow Clone Jutsu, and you have a balanced, well-_rounded _team for almost any situation!**" She giggled to herself. '**_And it would make the perfect opportunity for Naru-kun and Hinata to finally have a chance together! She's obviously the best choice for him out of the females in this group! If only Naru-kun would listen to my advice about her! And if only that girl would at least _try _to talk to Naru-kun instead of only watching him all the time!_' **She thought determinedly.

'_A well... **rounded**... team?_' Naruto thought suspiciously. He was about to demand clarification when he noticed something most unpleasant.

The one and only person that Naruto definitely _didn't _want to be teamed with, had walked in and come over to sit only two seats to Naruto's left, in the seat closest to the window. Kyaena noticed when Naruto did, and all the conversation that they had been having died instantly.

"**FILTHY ROTTEN UCHIHA BASTARD!**" Kyaena roared with hatred.

'_I-don't-GET-this-guy!_' Naruto's jaw clenched slightly as he tried to avoid looking at the dark haired boy who had been a real pain during Naruto's third and last year of the academy. '_We don't get along, he doesn't like me, I don't like him. SO WHY DOES HE ALWAYS SIT NEAR ME!?_'

"**That disgusting, puny, ego-driven POSER!**" Kyaena snarled with bared fangs. "**If only I could get the chance to crunch my teeth upon his flimsy bones... Of course, then I'd have to spend the next year washing out my mouth...**"

The dark haired boy in question, Sasuke Uchiha, sat quietly, just staring ahead. But he was having thoughts of his own.

'_That orange dead-last had better prove to be a better deterrent than usual to those crazy fan-girls today. I just need to get through today, then I'll finally be rid of them!_' Sasuke thought silently as he just waited for class to start. '_Even if he has absolutely no skill at all as a ninja, at least he occasionally keeps the girls occupied by being angry at him so they don't bother me._'

Naruto spent several minutes trying to keep Kyaena calm, until he noticed a familiar shadow strolling down the aisle next to him from behind. Naruto turned and smiled when he saw one of his friendlier acquaintances that he had been discussing just moments ago.

"Oh, hey Shikamaru!" He waved cheerily.

"Huh? Naruto?" Shikamaru paused to blink at the blonde. After a moment, he smirked and shook his head. "So, they finally decided that you were too much trouble to keep around, and are letting you graduate to get rid of you?" He chuckled.

"Oh, hardy-har-har." Naruto sarcastically smirked at the lame joke. "It's more like I'm too stubborn to wait any longer to start my ninja career." He gave a huge, confident, foxy grin.

"Well, I'll agree to the stubborn part anyway." Shikamaru shrugged casually. Naruto's eye twitched once as Kyaena gave a small snicker.

"Fine. Laugh it up smart-guy. We'll see how you like it when we wind up training and working together." Naruto jutted his chin slightly.

"That would be a real drag. I wouldn't be able to get any sleep with your loud mouth around all the time." Shikamaru gave a slight yawn. He wasn't actually tired... for once. But he enjoyed poking fun at Naruto.

While the two boys exchanged jibes, someone else looked on with intense joy.

In the row just behind Naruto, and two seats to his left, right behind Sasuke, Hinata Hyuga was watching with a tentative smile and slightly pinkish cheeks. She had been sitting there for a couple of minutes, watching Naruto.

'_I... I though he had failed again! The way he stormed out on the day of the finals... But he's here!_' Hinata thought. '_He did it! Naruto-kun graduated! And now, there's a chance I could be on the same team as him! This is wonderful!_' Her fingers fidgeted with the hood drawstrings over her oversized jacket as her cheeks turned a brighter reddish-pink.

Conversations in the whole room paused as everyone heard a strange rumbling that was growing louder. It seemed to be drawing nearer, until everyone looked over to see the door to the room nearly burst open, and a blond girl and a pink haired were shoving at each other until they squeezed through at the same time.

"I'm first!" They both yelled at the same time, causing most of the other people in the room to sweat-drop.

"**Oh great. The resident banshees are here.**" Kyaena groaned with her ears flattened back as the two girls were arguing over who got into the classroom first.

'_Oh come on. Ino's a bit of a chatter-box, sure. But Sakura-san's not that bad._' Naruto remarked, clearing his throat slightly.

"**Grrrrr! How can you say that!? With how she's always... Argh! I don't like her! And I don't like the interest you have in her! I'm glad this is the last day you'll have to be around her!**" Kyaena growled as her tails lashed in agitation.

Naruto watched out of the corner of his eye as the pink haired girl, Sakura Haruno, looked over in his direction. With a smile, she quickly walked over till she came up next to him.

"Morning Sakura-san! Great to see you made it he-" Naruto started to say.

"Move it Naruto! I'm trying to get around you!" Sakura yelled out far louder than necessary as she shoved Naruto over, causing his head to smack on the table. "Hi Sasuke-kun! Is this seat taken?" She asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. Sasuke barely even glanced in her direction.

'_So much for him being a distraction. He really is completely worthless for anything._' Sasuke thought to himself.

* * *

In the special scrying room of the Hokage tower, Sarutobi sat looking into his crystal ball that was showing the academy classroom. Nine jounin were gathered around the table, also watching the crystal as they observed the students they would be taking on as teams in just a couple of hours.

"So, that's the most promising new student and top rookie of the year, Sasuke Uchiha?" A jounin with silvery, duster-shaped hair, and his Hitai-ate pulled slantways over one eye, asked. His name, Kakashi Hatake.

"The dark haired one in the blue shirt is Sasuke Uchiha." Sarutobi replied carefully. '_Although... Most promising student? Rookie of the year? Not as far as I'm concerned._' He thought to himself.

"He's the sole survivor from the Uchiha clan." A kunoichi with black hair and unusual red eyes commented. Her name, Kurenai Yuuhi.

"Well, the only Uchiha still in the village." Sarutobi corrected, causing Kurenai to flinch.

The group watched as the crystal adjusted it's view, showing more of the class. Naruto's mostly orange cloths was a color contrast to the other students, and as such, drew everyone's eyes at least once.

'_And that must be Naruto Uzumaki._' Kurenai thought with slight amusement.

* * *

Naruto groaned slightly as he picked himself up, readjusting his Hitai-ate as a scraping sound echoed in his mind.

"**And there's another mark for the record of Pinky's cruelty!**" Kyaena seethed in outrage.

'_Muzzle it._' Naruto retorted automatically. It had become a habit ever since the beginning of the academy year when Sakura had entered the class. Every time she would yell at or hit Naruto, Kyaena would make a sound like scratching marks on metal, as if keeping track. It got on Naruto's nerves from time to time.

"**What are you waiting for!? Hit her! Smack her! Don't let her treat you like that! DO _SOMETHING_!**" She roared, nearly rattling Naruto's teeth.

'_You know my rules._' Naruto sighed to himself as several other girls began arguing with Sakura over who would be allowed to sit next to Sasuke. '_She doesn't know about you. Which means she dislikes ME for whatever reason. I won't get angry at her for just being a normal, opinionated person. It wouldn't be right to take out my frustrations from the rest of the village on someone who doesn't know anything about it._' He shook his head slightly, but then tensed. '_Although... That doesn't mean I can't act on my own legitimate opinions._'

In a move that only one lavender-eyed girl saw, Naruto was suddenly standing, or rather crouching, on the desk, glaring at Sasuke at a distance of only inches apart. Sasuke looked up to return the glare, both of them silent in their mutual distaste for the other. Unfortunately, the arguing girls had paused in their rants to look over and see the two.

"Hey Naruto, you idiot! Stop glaring at Sasuke-kun! Leave him alone!" Sakura yelled with shocked anger. Naruto spared a single look at her before returning to glaring at his opponent.

'_Alone. Yeah, Sakura-san doesn't seem to get that part. The jerk always wants to be alone, and doesn't even have any interest in her! And yet all the girls ever go on about is 'Sasuke this', and 'Sasuke that'. I just don't understand why they think he's so great!_' Naruto grumbled as the tense electricity crackled between him and Sasuke.

"**He's _not _great! You could crush him into the ground in five seconds flat if given the chance!**" Kyaena scoffed. "**Those girls are the idiots, hence why I don't approve of them!**" She huffed, having gone over this matter a hundred times before.

All the other girls had their own two cents to add.

"Beat him up, Sasuke-kun!"

"Yeah, knock that baka right out of the village!"

"Make him cry for his mommy!"

Kyaena stiffened at the last girl's comment.

"**Make a note, break that bitch's nose later.**" She hissed menacingly.

'_How may times do I have to say it? I can't let their normal childish behavior get to me to-_' Naruto was abruptly cut off when something bumped him from behind.

Time slowed down as the two intertwined minds accelerated in an attempt to understand the problem.

"**Naru-kun, what are you doing!? You're leaning forward!**" Kyaena shrieked as her fur puffed out in alarm.

'_Something bumped me! I'm off balance! I can't stop!_' Naruto wailed in a panic as his face approached Sasuke's, who also seemed alarmed at what was happening.

"**YOU'RE GOING TO KISS THE UCHIHA FILTH!**" Kyaena screamed in wide-eyed terror, all nine of her tails spiked out on end.

'_THE HELL I AM!_' Naruto howled with determination. He forced chakra into his legs as he strained his muscles, making an awkward leap/lunge over Sasuke's head, who desperately ducked to avoid a knee or foot to the face.

Unfortunately, or not, depending who you asked later, Naruto's knees caught on the desk behind Sasuke, causing Naruto to slam down and slide across, crashing face first into the person that was sitting there. The two crashed backward onto the floor, with Naruto landing on top.

All motion and conversation in the room stopped dead.

Naruto blinked as he tried to regain his bearings. He became aware that he was on something that felt quite pleasantly soft. When his eyes focused, they could only see the up-close view of a pair of wide, stun-shocked lavender eyes.

Hinata and her chair had fallen back to the floor, and now Naruto was laying/sitting on top of her, with his lips inexplicably clamped tightly onto hers.

'_N-N-Naruto-k-kun... k-kiss... kissing... me..._' The poor Hyuga girl's overloaded mind was in meltdown. '_My first kiss..._'

'_**Oh yeah! That's it Naru-kun! Work that magic!**_' Kyaena was dancing around with glee at the sudden turn of events, shaking her tails like she was twelve thousand again. Not that age mattered at all to a supernatural elemental demon.

All the other cadets in the class could only gape at the spectacle of the two on the floor, though the girls were looking on in increasing shock.

About four or five seconds after the start of the accidental lip-lock, Naruto finally realized why his landing had been so... soft.

"HOLY ARCEUS!" Naruto freaked as he jumped up off his classmate. "I'm so, so, so, so sorry Hinata! Are you alright? Did you hurt your head?" He spouted apologies as he offered a hand up, only to stop when he felt killer intent.

It was pathetically weak, certainly nothing on the level that he was used to getting in his day to day routine, but it was just enough to catch his attention as he turned to look at the group of girls that were standing to the side. Sasuke, who had gone back to just staring off into space like nothing had happened, just had to have his say.

"I knew you were a klutz, but I didn't know you were a pervert." Sasuke remarked in a bored, 'I-don't-care' tone. '_There. That should keep the girls after him for a good while._' He almost smirked to himself. Almost.

"Shut it Duck-butt! You have no idea what you're-Eh?" Naruto paused from yelling at the Uchiha as he looked back at the girls.

"Naruto, stupid pervert!" Sakura snarled as she cracked her knuckles. "You make me sick!"

"Whoa, hold it, it was an accident! You saw so yourself!" Naruto waved the girls off as they approached, then began chasing him around the room.

"**Damn it all! Such a perfect moment, ruined!**" Kyaena hissed. "**And that Uchiha slime! Daring to call you a pervert! His karma will catch up to him someday!**"

Everyone seemed to have forgotten Hinata, still laying on the floor, her smiling face glowing red as hearts spun in her eyes.

* * *

In the Hokage tower, Sarutobi sighed as he scratched at his head under his hat.

"That Naruto. Always somehow managing to wind up right in the middle of trouble. No matter what his intentions, or even when he isn't even trying!" Sarutobi shook his head in disbelief.

The jounin around him chuckled as they watched Naruto being chased. Kurenai, however, was not laughing, but she was smirking.

'_I don't believe it. For that to happen, to the two of them..._' She thought in slight anticipation as she watched Naruto jump over a dozen feet straight up, and hung from a ceiling beam to escape the screaming girls. '_Hinata has watched Naruto for so long. I wonder if that kiss will motivate her to work harder, or just distract her more._' Kurenai pulled a piece of paper from her ninkit. It was her orders, and the names of the genin team she would be taking on and testing. Hinata's name was first on the list. '_Either way, it should make working with her from now on very interesting. Not to mention..._' Kurenai finally let out a tiny giggle, '_If the team passes, I'll have something to tease her about, girl-to-girl._'

A bearded jounin beside her who was smoking a cigarette gave her a curious look.

* * *

When Iruka walked into his classroom, he saw that most of the boys were scattered everywhere, just laughing themselves silly. Most of the girls were in a cluster in the middle of the room, looking upwards and screaming various threats. Iruka looked up to see Naruto hanging from a ceiling beam, looking down at the girls with a slightly worried expression on his face.

'_Naruto... What did I miss this time?_' Iruka dragged his hand over his face once before addressing the class. "EVERYONE SIT DOWN!" He bellowed. Everyone jumped and scrambled to their seats. With one exception. "I think the 'down' part especially applies to you, Naruto." Iruka said up at the orange ornament.

"Ah, yeah, sorry Iruka-sensei." Naruto said as he checked below to see it was clear before lightly dropping down straight into his original seat, which, unfortunately, was now right next to Sakura, who gave him an icy glare.

"Move somewhere else." She hissed.

"Sorry, no can do. My stuff was already here." Naruto responded, pulling his backpack out slightly for her to see.

"Why do you have all that with you?" Sakura frowned.

"Just being prepared." Naruto shrugged as he pushed his pack back under the table.

"Prepared for what?" Sakura pressed, confused.

"AHEM!" Iruka interrupted, cutting off Naruto's chance to reply. "Alright, now that everyone's seated..." Iruka took a breath to compose himself as he smiled to address them. "As of today, you are no longer mere students, but full-fledged ninja. But in the ranks of the ninja, you're only genin, beginner ninjas in training, the lowest starting rank. Compared to your work in the academy, you're greatest challenges are now ahead of you." Iruka pulled a clipboard from his desk. "For the next stage, you twenty-seven genin will be grouped into three member squads, with each squad being lead by an elite jounin, who will supervise and continue to train you during your missions."

Around the room, a number of the graduates suddenly had surprised looks on their faces at the news of being grouped into squads.

'_A squad of three? Sounds like two too many. They'll only slow me down._' Sasuke didn't frown, but his eyes narrowed slightly in disapproval.

Ino and Sakura were exchanging quips about who would be on Sasuke's team as Naruto's eyebrows raised in surprise at everyone's reactions.

'_What's with everyone? Surely they were told about this?_' Naruto wondered as he glanced around.

"**I don't know. Maybe they just forgot or something. It's not like it's really that important.**" Kyaena shrugged.

'_But... I'm the only one with any gear._' Naruto noted as he looked several others over. '_If the jounin senseis test us right away, no one is going to be prepared._'

"**You are. And you brought enough along that I'm sure you can supply your teammates if need be.**" Kyaena reassured, making Naruto concede the point.

"Now then," Iruka continued, "The squads have been arranged to give each team a balance of abilities and skills. I will now read the roster, so pay attention to when your name is called, and who you'll be teamed with." Iruka said as he began reading from the clipboard. "Squad one will be..."

Everyone listened as Iruka worked his way through the list, some of the graduates smiling or frowning at the selections, and even one or two groups that were lucky enough to consist of friends.

'_If only I had friends to be teamed with. Shikamaru and Choji are really more like just acquaintances. Kiba is a prank rival, and... well... The others..._' Naruto sighed to himself.

"**Don't worry Naru-kun. We're still the best team, right?**" Kyaena offered playfully, making Naruto smirk.

'_You got that right._' Naruto agreed, instantly feeling better. He re-focused on Iruka.

"...Now squad seven. Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha and..." Iruka paused. '_Here comes the pain._' He braced himself, even as he saw Sakura silently cheering to herself and sticking her tongue out at Ino. "... And, Naruto Uzumaki!" Iruka finished.

There was a single second of silence before the eruption.

"**S**A**Y** W**H**A**T**!**?**" Sakura, Naruto and Kyaena all yelled at the same time, making Iruka wince, even though he had been expecting it.

In the row behind the shocked and fuming new teammates, Hinata, who had been woken when Iruka came in earlier, felt her world sink a few notches.

'_I... I won't get to be with Naruto-kun..._' She thought sadly.

Iruka decided to rush out the last team assignments before it was too late.

"Squad eight will be Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame! The official designation of squad nine is already in circulation from last year, so the last squad, squad ten, is Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi!" Iruka breathed out a gasp.

As various people were making comments to each other about the last teams, Ino in particular, Naruto was struggling not to loose his temper. Kyaena was doing that for him.

"**I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!**" She roared, thrashing around in the cage, tearing up pillows. "**After everything you've been through, after all the pain you've endured, after you stop a traitor and after you were re-evaluated, they have the unmitigated _gall _to team you with Pinky-la-Shrew and EMO-THE-WONDER-GRUMP!?**" Kyaena stomped up and down. "**THIS IS _NOT _ACCEPTABLE!**" She smashed at another pillow as her mind worked furiously for a solution.

'_Being with Sakura-san wouldn't have been so bad, but the Uchiha? I'd rather eat a hedgehog._' Naruto grumbled as his eye and mouth twitched.

"So, those are the team assignments and-" Iruka had hoped to dismiss them quickly, but his hopes were dashed when Naruto jumped to his feet.

"Hold it Iruka-sensei! Why in the world did you put me on the same team as that stuck-up Duck-Butt, Sasuke?" Naruto demanded. Before Iruka could respond, and before the girls could throw things at him, the class was stunned by an unexpected event.

"Yeah Iruka-sensei, what's the deal? First you say the teams are supposed to be balanced, then you go an put the two strongest guys in the class on the same squad!" Shikamaru called out.

Yes. Shikamaru. The lazy. The slacker. The cloud watcher. The, Mr. 'I-can't-be-bothered-for-anything-because-it's-all -such-a-troublesome-drag'.

The entirety of the class was silent in shock until Sakura managed to find her voice again. Well, the loud part of it, anyway.

"What!? How dare you say such a thing! How could you possibly even _think _that Naruto-baka is anywhere _near _as great as Sasuke-kun!?" Sakura raved in a defensive huff.

Shikamaru gazed at her for a moment before putting his head down as if to go to sleep.

"Ah, forget it. Trying to explain it to you would be too troublesome." He waved her off lazily. Naruto blinked in surprise.

'_Wait a second. Why would Shikamaru think I'm strong? He hasn't seen any more of my abilities than the rest of the class, and I don't recall him being at my re-evaluation._' Naruto wondered, but Kyaena was still preoccupied with thinking of a way out of the mess Naruto was in.

"Ah, Naruto," Iruka cleared his throat nervously, drawing attention back to him, "About your squad assignment... Well... You see... Um... Well, you know, considering the hassle of paperwork... I mean... There would have been only twenty six graduates without you, which doesn't divide by three... And due to the special circumstances of your, um, _delayed _graduation and all..." Iruka continued to fidget, but Naruto had already realized what he was trying to say without actually saying it.

"WAIT A MINUTE! Are you saying that the only reason I'm on squad seven is because all the other teams were already assigned, and there was nowhere else for me to be placed!?" Naruto yelled in furious disbelief.

"Uh, well, yeah. Sorry about that." Iruka offered a weak smile as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Naruto slowly slumped down in his chair.

'_This is just too unfair. They're treating me like I'm just dead-weight._' He thought miserably.

"**Naruto-kun!**" Kyaena finally called to him. "**I've gone over the other team compositions! Ask to switch with Kiba on squad eight!**" She ordered in a no-nonsense tone.

'_What? Switch? Why do you-_' Naruto blinked in confusion.

"**JUST DO IT!**" Kyaena yelled as she was border lining on zero patience. Naruto gulped slightly at her anger.

"Uh, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto waved a raised hand until he had his teacher's attention again.

"Yes Naruto?" Iruka asked, slightly wary.

"Well, look, do you really think just throwing me into this is going to work? If my presence or abilities weren't even considered-" Naruto started to say, but Iruka waved defensively.

"It's not like that! I'm sorry, but these things just happen from time to time. At least give it a chance?" Iruka asked hopefully.

"Well, what about at least switching me with someone with similar skill focus?" Naruto asked, making Iruka tilt his head in confusion.

"Huh? What do you mean?" He asked while tapping a finger on his clipboard in curiosity.

"I mean..." Naruto paused, pretending to look around the room quickly before pointing out his intended swapee. "How about Kiba? If I figure your squad arrangements right, squad eight is a kind of wilderness tracking or survival squad, right? Well, you know how good I am at survival, and Kiba's and mine dispositions are about the same... even if I am a better prankster." Naruto smirked slightly.

"Yeah right! In your dreams, citrus for brains!" Kiba snorted in denial, even though he was fully aware that Naruto's prank history outshined his by a mile.

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto rolled his eyes at Kiba's surprisingly witty retort before continuing with Iruka. "So, if you put me on team eight, and Kiba on team seven, the skills of each squad remain basically the same. All that's different, is that you're not making it seem like my presence here is a mistake that has to be forced on anyone." Naruto finished with a dull, serious tone.

The entirety of the class was surprised at Naruto's suggestion of switching around the squad assignments. Some thought it was appalling to question the orders, some thought it an idea they would try if Naruto's request was accepted. And then, there was one...

'_Naruto-kun... wants to... be on my team...?_' Hinata blinked slowly a few times, before it **really **hit her. '_Naruto-kun wants to be on my team! NarutoKunWantsToBeOnMyTeam! NarutoKunWantsToBeOnMyTeam! NarutoKunWantsToBeOnMyTeam!_' Her face was glowing bright red as steam could almost be seen discharging out her ears. If anyone was looking at her, that is.

Iruka stood motionless as he honestly thought about Naruto's proposal.

'_Leave it to Naruto to come up with a perfectly plausible suggestion, only at the **very last second**!_' He frowned. '_I'd be all for it, but... there just isn't time to deal with all the things that would need to be done for it, not to mention the hassle Hokage-sama would be put through._' Iruka looked back and forth from Naruto to Kiba once. '_And the worst part, Naruto is right. He's probably the most experienced here when it comes to independent survival._' Iruka sighed.

"Well Iruka-sensei? How about it?" Naruto asked hopefully when he saw Iruka look back and forth between him and Kiba. Kyaena waited intently as her ears and tails twitched in anticipation.

"I'm sorry Naruto. Even if I agreed with it, I don't have the authority to make that kind of change." Iruka shook his head regretfully. "The squad assignments were made by recommendations from the jounin, and decided on by Hokage-sama himself! You're going to have to get used to following orders. **Real **orders, not just classroom rules." Iruka remarked as he set his clipboard back on his desk.

Naruto's shoulders slumped slightly as everyone murmured opinions around him. Hinata looked completely crushed as she stared at Iruka. Sakura looked confused as she wondered what Iruka was talking about. And Sasuke...

"Just make sure you don't get in my way, dead-last." Sasuke said in that annoyingly calm, 'I'm-above-you-don't-forget-it', tone.

Naruto considered ripping out the table top and bashing Sasuke over the head, but instead, just gave a shrug as he sat down.

"It doesn't matter. I'll just have a talk with Old-Man-Hokage later." Naruto said casually, before turning his attention to the ceiling. "You hear that Old-Man!? You're buying dinner at Ichiraku's for this!" He called, making Kyaena give a half-hearted chuckle.

Everyone else, except Iruka and Hinata, was staring at him like he was crazy.

* * *

In the Hokage tower, Sarutobi sweat-dropped when it appeared as if Naruto was talking directly to him through the crystal ball. When he reflexitivly pulled out and checked his wallet, the jounin all burst out laughing.

* * *

In the classroom, Sakura was livid.

"Naruto you idiot! You can't just talk about Hokage-sama like that!" Sakura yelled as she gave him a hard pound on the head. "It's not like you're friends with him or anything!"

Naruto frowned as he rubbed his head. A scraping sound echoed in his mind.

"**Another mark for the record of Pinky's cruelty!**" Kyaena growled.

'_Muzzle it._' Naruto snapped.

"Alright, that's enough! You'll mean your jounin senseis after lunch. Until then, class dismissed." Iruka called out, making the assembled genin scramble for the door. He sat down at his desk to write some information on the squad sheet, but looked up quickly at a strange feeling. '_What the...? Did... Did Hinata just give me a death-glare?_' Iruka wondered as the mass of bodies exited the room. He shook his head. '_Nah, couldn't be. I'd better get some lunch too, considering I skipped breakfast. My hunger is making me imagine things._' He thought to himself, resuming his writing.

* * *

As everyone had gone their own ways, Sakura had wandered out of the academy's main entrance, trying to find her new teammate.

"Sasuke-kuuuunnnn! Oh, now why did he go running off so fast?" She wondered to herself. '_I at least thought, since we're in the same squad, that we could have lunch together and try to get to know each other._' She thought with slight disappointment.

"Hey, Sakura-san!" Naruto came trotting up behind her, making her go rigid as she turned to face him. "Well. I'm sure you weren't expecting this anymore than I was, but I guess we'll just have to make the best of it." Naruto paused, looking around. "Did you see where Duck-Butt got to? Let's find him, then we can have lunch together as we go over-"

"IDIOT! Why in the world would I want to eat lunch with you? How could that thought even cross your mind!?" Sakura spat in disgust.

"Look, I know we don't exactly get along, and that's the point. As a team, we should discuss how were going to handle-" Naruto tried to explain, only to receive a glare.

"Naruto, you're annoying." Sakura stated with contempt. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, I get it, I'm annoying. But seriously, we need to go over..." Naruto paused when he realized Sakura was already wandering away, calling for Sasuke. "... the genin exam." Naruto sighed as he watched her leave. '_Does she have any intention in becoming a skilled ninja?_' He wondered.

"**I sincerely doubt it. Which is going to make this so much harder for you!**" Kyaena growled at the retreating pinkette. "**You already have enough pressure on you to get though the genin exam without having to carry _her _skinny hide along as well!**" Kyaena's tails bunched together, then the middle one raised up, like a finger.

'_She's not going to listen to me at all, is she?_' Naruto frowned in thought as he scratched his head slightly. '_The only one she would listen to is Sasuke._' After a moment, he turned and began leaping up and up through the trees, then onto the academy roof.

"**What are you doing?**" Kyaena frowned in worry.

'_That Duck-Butt may be a jack-hole, but if nothing else can be said about him, he does take his training and ninja duties seriously... I think._' Naruto said as he began scanning windows, and looking around the academy grounds. '_If I tell him, then maybe, to preserve his own ninja career, he'll talk to Sakura-san._'

"**Doubtful.**" Kyaena snorted.

'_Well, I have to try, at least._' Naruto shrugged as he leapt off to the other side of the academy to continue his search.

* * *

Despite her unhappiness with the situation, Ino decided that at the very least, she would make sure that she set things her way with her new team. As such, she had dragged Shikamaru and Choji out onto a balcony of the academy as they sat eating.

"Alright, if we're going to be in the same group, you'll have to follow my instructions! That's the only way this will work!" Ino declared to the lounging other two in a confident voice. Shikamaru was mostly tuning her out.

'_It's the only way to work, because she throws a hiss-fit if people even try to argue against her getting her way._' The lord of the lazy thought in annoyance.

"Hey, how about we all go out for BBQ sometime?" Choji offered in a merry attitude.

As Ino smacked herself at her teammate's clueless-ness, Shikamaru blinked as he saw something of (rare) interest.

"Hey, check it out." He pointed across the wide distance between where they were eating, and the opposing side of the building.

The other two turned to see what Shikamaru was talking about, and saw Naruto hopping along the roof tiles. They could also see Sasuke in a board-shutter window that was opened, and Naruto seemed to be heading for it.

"Hey Duck-Butt, we've got to talk!" Naruto shouted as he leapt into the window, accidentally knocking it closed behind him.

When sounds of arguing, and the occasional thumping and scuffling, flitted through the air, Ino stomped her foot angrily.

"Naruto! If you so much as lay a finger on Sasuke-kun, you'll be on my enemy list forever!" She declared angrily. Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

'_Yeah right. As if they could hear you from all the way over there._' He thought. He usually had comments to things, but to actually speak them aloud? To troublesome.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio waited for a good two minutes, before they saw the window board open just long enough for Sasuke to leap out, letting it close after him.

"Ah! Sasuke-kun is alright!" Ino sighed in delight. "Of course, I don't know why I was worried. After all Sasuke-kun is just way too cool to let some orange fool get the better of him!" She squealed as stars danced before her eyes.

Shikamaru frowned to himself as he watched Sasuke wander off.

'_What the heck? How did Sasuke beat Naruto? Naruto should've been able to flatten that emo without even breaking a sweat! What happened in there?_' Shikamaru wondered for all of ten seconds, before shrugging it off. _'I'd better not get involved. Naruto would probably drag me into some kind of prank to get back at Sasuke... And Ino would yell my ear off._'

He resumed eating his rice ball.

* * *

In the park next to the academy, Sakura sat on a stone bench, finishing her meal. When she had failed to find Sasuke, she had decided to go ahead and eat. As she set her empty bento aside, she sighed to herself.

'_I really need to relax. I don't need to rush. I'm in the same squad as Sasuke-kun, and will be for a long time._' She leaned back to gaze up at the trees swaying in the breeze. '_But even so... How am I supposed to seduce him with my feminine charms, when I'm so completely deficient in the T&A departments? I'm scrawny and small, and the only thing oversized on me is my horrible forehead. Why did I have to be born with such a wide forehead?_' She groaned to herself. '_Ino is only barely better with her hair, and her chest at least has a curve to it, but she often seems even skinnier than I am. It was a miracle that I got put together with Sasuke-kun. If I had to keep competing with some of the other girls, I don't know if Sasuke-kun would have picked me._' Sakura reflected back on the time in the academy. '_Some of those others were obviously more feminine, even now, let alone when we all get older. Especially Hinata. Kami, I'd do almost anything to have a body like **hers**._' She sighed as she remembered one time when she accidentally walked in on Hinata in the girl's dojo showers. Sakura had felt... inadequate, for nearly two months after that event. '_She's practically a woman already! If she had any interest in Sasuke-kun, I'd never have a chance!_' Sakura frowned slightly. '_Which is something I still can't understand. How could she **not **want to be with Sasuke-kun? She's never shown any interest in him at all! I suppose she could just be hiding it real well... no, that can't be. She's gone as far as to avoid him, like at lunch time and stuff._' Sakura sighed as she decided to stare at her feet. '_I guess I should just consider myself lucky that she doesn't like Sasuke-kun, for whatever unknown reason, and leave it at that. I'm on Sasuke-kun's team, which means I've been chosen to support him through thick and thin! Now if only I could get him to notice me..._' Sakura set her head in her hands as she tried to think of how to improve her situation.

"Hey, Sakura." Said an all to familiar voice, making Sakura go stiff. She slowly looked up to see the object of her desires leaning against a tree across from her, a look of concern on his face.

"S-Sasuke-kun!" Sakura gasped in surprise. '_Oh Kami, he's staring right at me! And... oh, wow... I've never seen his eyes like that before! They're so deep and strong, as if he knows all the secrets of the world!_' She blushed.

(SAKURA'S FANTASY FLASH)

Sasuke walked over to stand in front of Sakura, his look of concern increasing.

"Sakura, I'm sorry. It was so rude of me to leave you. It's always better to have pleasurable company to enjoy a meal. I hope I can provide that for you in the future." He said in apology.

"S-sure. I could even stomach ramen as long as you're there to comfort me." Sakura whispered in a daze. "Could I offer you a drink... of my lips?" She slowly leaned forward.

"Perhaps... just a sip." Sasuke whispered back as he leaned forward...

(END FANTASY FLASH)

'_Yeah right._' Sakura sighed to herself, shaking off the images. '_That's just a fairy tale. And fairy tales don't happen to me._' She thought miserably with her chin back in her hands.

Sasuke walked over to stand in front of Sakura, his look of concern increasing.

"Sakura, I'm sorry. It was so rude of me to leave you. It's always better to have pleasurable company to enjoy a meal. I hope I can provide that for you in the future." He said in apology.

Sakura bolted up-right, wide-eyed with a super blush on her cheeks.

'_CHA! She scores! This fairy tale is for real!_' Her mind blasted out in triumph. But before she could open her mouth to respond, Sasuke made a face of severe distaste.

"Gah! That sounded so corny! I can't believe Naruto thought I could pull that off with a straight face!" He shook his head, like he had a bad taste in his mouth. Sakura promptly slumped. Sasuke cleared his throat slightly as he sat down next to the disappointed girl. "Incidentally Sakura, about Naruto... I need you to tell me. What do you really think of him?" He asked in a cautious tone. Sakura gave him a surprisingly confused look.

"What? Why in the world would you want to talk about Naruto?" She asked.

"Since we're in a team, I need to know where we all stand." Sasuke replied. At Sakura's continued confused expression, he sighed in slight annoyance. "I mean, I know how I fell about Naruto, and how I feel about you. I know how Naruto feels about me, and how he feels about you. And I know how you feel about me, but I don't know how you feel about Naruto. This is important, if we're going to be on the same team." Sasuke said pointedly as Sakura slowly nodded in understanding. "So, what do you think of him?" Sasuke asked again. It was a moment before Sakura responded.

"If he had his way... I'd never find love or happiness. He knows about my feelings, and purposely tries to get in the way. He enjoys interfering and making me feel bad, especially when I make mistakes." Sakura said in a cold tone as she stared straight ahead. "Naruto doesn't understand anything about me! I can't stand having him anywhere near me! He's so annoying, it makes me sick!" She spat. But then her tone turned soft. "But, the one person whose opinion I value... The only one I really want to be close to... is you, Sasuke-kun" Sakura slowly turned to face him, her cheeks almost as pink as her hair. "All I want... Is for you to accept me. I'd do anything to win your attention... and your respect..." She closed her eyes as she leaned forward, pursing her lips slightly. "I'm... desperate... so..."

Sakura waited for a moment, but didn't feel anything. When she cracked an eye open, Sasuke was just sitting, with his hands interlaced in front of his face as he stared forward. Just like he often did in class.

"Now that is a very interesting statement." Sasuke said, not even looking at her. "Considering, that in the entire year we've had classes with him, I've never seen Naruto treat you that way. Not even once!" He frowned.

"Wh-what?" Sakura blinked in surprise.

"Either you're completely incompetent, or... Argh." Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose as he shook his head in frustration. "Now I know why Naruto asked me to do this."

"What are you talking about? What does Naruto have to do with anything?" Sakura asked, now very worried and confused.

"After Iruka-sensei dismissed us for lunch, Naruto tried to talk to you, right? He tried to tell you something?" Sasuke finally turned to look at her.

"Uh, yeah, I guess. I... I thought he was just trying to ask me out on a date or something." Sakura admitted sheepishly.

"Well he wasn't. He was trying to tell you something important. But because you wouldn't listen to him, he had to come bother me. He told me, and said that you'd only listen if I were the one telling you." Sasuke frowned, clearly unhappy with all the trouble. "Congratulations Sakura. You nearly destroyed our... MY, chances to become a genin."

"What? What are you saying? We're already genin." Sakura was feeling more and more worried. '_Naruto! What kind of lies have you been telling!?_' Her internal self fumed.

"No, not quite. Naruto told me about it, and he said that Iruka-sensei told him." Sasuke sat up straight and turned slightly to face her. "Graduating from the academy courses only implies that we have sufficient skills to qualify to become genin. But we still have to pass the genin exam itself."

Sakura's eyes widened at the news.

'_Another exam!? But, that means there's still a chance that I might be separated from Sasuke-kun!_' She thought is slight panic. "Um, well, what is the genin exam? I mean, what will we have to do?" She asked in a nervous, mousy voice. After all, here she was, actually having a conversation with Sasuke!

"We have to work together." Sasuke said in a dead serious voice.

"Well, of course! I'm sure the two of us will be able to handle anything... as long as... you know... we stick together. Closely together." Sakura's blush began to return.

"No Sakura," Sasuke sighed. "I mean ALL of us. You, me AND Naruto. That's the point. Why do you think the class was arranged into teams?" He shrugged in exasperation. "Even if our skills are acceptable individually, what good are they if the team can't function together? The genin exam is exactly that, a test to be sure that our squad, the **three **of us, will be able to cooperate and function efficiently on missions."

Sakura sat back, uncertainty clear in her expression.

"Well, I guess that makes sense. But while I'm sure you and I could do fine, Naruto won't be able to handle it! You know him, he doesn't like working with anybody!" Sakura argued. '_Of course, Naruto is going to mess up anything! I'll never forgive him!_' Her inner self punched and kicked in fury.

"Naruto may be an idiot, he may be a loud mouth, he may even be cursed with the worst fashion sense ever, but he is serious about being a ninja. Almost as serious as me." Sasuke frowned in thought as he crossed his arms. "I'm willing to believe that he'll at least make the effort to work along with us." Sasuke turned a hard glare on Sakura, who flinched back. "But we have to be willing to do the same. I would be extremely... irritated, if my ninja career was derailed just because you can't get past some childish feud with a love-struck fruit head!" He growled.

"S-Sasuke-k-kun... I... I wouldn't..." Sakura sputtered in shock. She couldn't believe that Sasuke was accusing her of such things.

"SO. We're going to have to agree to keep our heads level, and work as a TEAM." Sasuke turned away from Sakura to look at the trees. "We just need to keep calm until we can get through the exam. Then we'll have time to adjust, afterwards. We'll meet our jounin sensei today, and we'll be tested either this afternoon, or maybe tomorrow." He gave one more side glance at the seriously unsettled girl next to him. "I know it won't be easy. But at least try to hold your temper with Naruto. If you don't... You might ruin all our careers. We'd be an embarrassment. And what's more, you should try to watch your attitude with other people in general as well. You're constantly arguing with Ino, you're constantly yelling at Naruto... It seems to me that you don't exactly get along well with many people... other than me." Sasuke frowned. "You need to fix that. If you don't... Someday, you may get yourself into so much trouble with someone... that you won't be able to get yourself out."

Sakura was sitting, staring at her feet as she struggled to absorb the lecture she was getting. Finally, she took a deep breath as she sat a little straighter.

"Alright. I understand. We can't act like children anymore. We're ninja, and as such, we have a responsibility to act in a professional manor." Sakura said with determination. She offered a smile. "Though, I'd appreciate any help you'd be willing to-"

"Alright then." Sasuke interrupted, standing up. "We should get back. You go ahead, and I'll catch up after I go round up Naruto."

"Oh... Ok." Sakura said as she stood up also. "Um, he's... He's probably at that ramen shop he loves so much."

"Yeah, that's probably it. I'll go run over and check." Sasuke nodded, then looked at Sakura. "By the way, if you can, you should try to grab some equipment before we meet our new sensei. If you don't have time to run home, I'm sure Iruka-sensei won't mind if you grab some out of the supply room in the acad-"

"HEY! LOSER!" A loud shout caused Sasuke and Sakura to jump slightly.

Sakura leaned to the side slightly to look past Sasuke, only to see... Sasuke coming towards them? She could only gape in disbelief as the second, Sasuke2, marched over with an angry glare to stand in front of the one she had been talking to, Sasuke1.

'_CHA! Two Sasuke-kuns!? I'm in heaven! Paradise! That Ino-pig can stuff her shirt all she wants, because these two are ALL MINE!_' Inner-Sakura screamed as she danced around. "Wh-what? What's going on?" Sakura asked, looking back and forth between the identical boys.

"Even for you, this is a pretty lame attempt at a joke, dead-last." Sasuke1 commented, looking the other him over.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Naruto?" Sasuke2 demanded, his face tense and jaw clenched in severe agitation. Sasuke1 raised an eyebrow.

"Has that jutsu overtaxed what little of your brain that you try to use each day? Now you can't even tell who's you and who's me?" Sasuke1 shook his head in a slow, pitying manner.

"Don't mess with me, jerk." Sasuke2 warned in a low tone "Answer me. What do you intend to get out of trying to pass yourself off as me?"

"Wait, so, one is the real Sasuke-kun, and... the other is Naruto?" Sakura wondered out loud, looking back and forth. '_When I find out which one is Naruto, he's getting a knuckle sandwich added to his lunch!_' She vowed to herself, only to blink with realization. '_Wait a minute, the one I've been talking to couldn't possibly be Naruto, could it? I mean, I wanted to kiss... Ugh..._' She shuddered at the imagined possibility of loosing her first kiss to the walking talking orange.

"Look, I was just relaying the message to Sakura like you asked me to." Sasuke1 shrugged. "It was a legitimate concern. I don't know what you're doing now, besides being the idiot you usually are." He rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"Talking to..." Sasuke2 narrowed his eyes in suspicion, before turning to the distracted kunoichi. "What has this loser been telling you?"

"Uh..." Sakura hesitated, not sure what exactly to think. '_They're both just like Sasuke-kun... I'm not quite sure who's who!_' She thought in a panic. "He... He was telling me that we still have one more exam to take, and that we'll have to work together as a unified group in order to pass."

"That ridiculous nonsense again?" Sasuke2 snorted, turning back to face Sasuke1. "Why are you going around telling these lies Naruto? Trying suck up to Iruka-sensei or something?"

"First of all," Sasuke1 frowned slightly, "I'm not telling lies. Secondly, even if the information was inaccurate, I still think it would be a good idea to make sure we can coordinate our efforts for the most effective results in any mission our team gets assigned." He crossed his arms as he glared at his mirror image.

'_That one certainly sounds smart, and he's trying to make sure we're all included when we start working as ninja._' Sakura noted to herself.

"There is no team." Sasuke2 scoffed. "You're just a no-skill dead-last loser. You're so worthless that our senseis didn't care where you ended up. And you," He turned to Sakura, whose eyes widened. "You're just an air-headed fan girl. You'll never be an effective ninja because you have about as much killer instinct as a hamster." He snorted in disgust. "I want both of you to stay out of my way. I'll do things myself, so don't embarrass yourselves by trying to keep up with me."

Sakura's eye was twitching as she listened.

'_This one is a mean, tactless, insulting jerk! Well, that certainly answers who's who!_' She thought with seething anger at having been so blatantly insulted to her face.

"You try to take on too much yourself, and you'll crumble under the weight. You can't go through life all alone, trust me, I know that better than most. You'll have to trust and rely on someone sometime, and it would probably be best if those someones were your own teammates." Sasuke1 shook his head in disapproval of his counterpart's attitude.

"Being alone...?" Sasuke2's eyes widened slightly before his lips pulled into a thin line. "You have some nerve bringing up that topic you-" He started to reach for Sasuke1's shirt... only to have a fast flying set of knuckles smash into his face, knocking him backwards to the ground.

"Don't you dare touch Sasuke-kun, Naruto!" Sakura yelled furiously as she put herself between the two Sasukes.

Sasuke1's jaw had been hanging open in shock, but then he slowly lowered his head in a grimace as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Sakura, didn't I just get through telling you a minute ago that you needed to watch your temper or it would get you into really big trouble?" He muttered, even as Sasuke2 was staggering to his feet.

"I'm sorry Sasuke-kun. But Naruto can't talk down to us like that! And I won't let him insult you right after you were trying to give him a chance to be part of the team!" Sakura rambled out.

Sasuke2 had gotten back to his feet, and had the most shell-shocked look of disbelief on his face as he glared at Sakura.

"You... hit me...?" His eyes were wide with growing anger. "You actually DARED to hit ME!?"

"Damn right I did! And I'll hit you every time you try to do something stupid!" Sakura shouted back.

"Uh, Sakura... You really don't want to do that." Sasuke1 cleared his throat slightly.

"Yes I do! I'm sick of Naruto being such a heartless, mean jerk! I'll _beat _the concept of teamwork into Naruto if I have to!" Sakura declared firmly.

"Uh, well, that could be a bit of a problem, considering..." Sasuke1 remarked slowly then, POOF, "... That I'm Naruto." He added with slight embarrassment.

Sakura stood silently, staring at the blond. She blinked a couple times. Then, she started chuckling, of all things.

"Oh stop it Sasuke-kun!" She let out a strange giggle. "You can't be Naruto, silly! After all, if you're Naruto, then that means I just... I just... I-I-I-I JUST HIT SASUKE-KUN!" She shrieked as she turned white as paper.

"Yeah. Not the best way to encourage teamwork." Naruto shrugged with a slight grimace.

"**GAH! Finally!**" Kyaena gasped out, uncurling from the corner that she had been huddled against. "**I didn't think I could stay quiet for another minute! Now just ditch those two and get back to the classroom!**" She insisted.

'_No, hang on, I need to make sure-_' Naruto started to respond, but was interrupted by a very irate Sasuke rushing towards Sakura.

"You stupid pink haired bitch! I'll teach you to dare to assault an Uchiha!" He growled out as he raised a fist, but stopped short when Naruto appeared between him and Sakura.

"Don't." Naruto growled in return. "It wasn't her fault. She thought you were me. She wouldn't ever want to attack you. Hell, she'd probably attack Old-Man-Hokage if you told her to." Naruto paused to turn to Sakura. "But you need to be more careful. In the life of a ninja where deception is an everyday risk and part of-"

KAWHAM

Naruto went flying into a tree and collapsed into the grass after Sakura's vicious hit. Sasuke looked back and forth between his two 'teammates', before giving a snort.

"Just forget it. You two aren't worth my time or effort." He muttered as he walked off.

"No, wait, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called out, but Sasuke kept going. She snarled as she rounded on a still prone Naruto. "Naruto, you bastard! This is all your fault! You did this on purpose, didn't you!? You were trying to mess things up between me and Sasuke-kun! I'll NEVER forgive you for this!" She kicked a rock over that hit Naruto on the head. "All that nonsense about teamwork and having to take another exam? Those were all lies, weren't they!? You're pathetic! Someone like you doesn't deserve the loyalty of teammates!" Sakura spat, then ran off, calling desperately for Sasuke.

Naruto just lay on his back in the cool grass, looking up at the tree above him. Kyaena just smashed up against the bars of the seal over and over in seething rage.

"**I will make her pay... I will maker her SUFFER!**" She screamed, lashing her tails against the walls. "**SHE HAS NO RIGHT TO SPEAK TO YOU LIKE THAT! She is NOTHING! She has no idea what she's doing!**" Kyaena paused, then several scrapping sounds echoed in Naruto's head. "**And by the way, three more marks-**"

'_Muzzle it._' Naruto sighed. '_And how many times have I asked you not to hit the cage like that? You can pound on the walls, but when you hit the bars, I can feel it._' He winced slightly. He watched the swaying tree leaves for a few moments. '_Great. Just great. I try to help get the team together, and instead, I've made things worse than they were originally._' He slowly rolled over, and sat back against the tree.

"**No! You only had good intentions! It's their fault for being such selfish, ego driven rats!**" Kyaena hissed as she forced herself to settle, pulling pillows around herself. "**I know you don't want to have to repeat the academy again, but it's preferable than having to deal with such undisciplined lemmings!**"

Naruto considered for a moment, then got to his feet, brushing himself off.

'_Maybe. It does seem like our squad assignment couldn't possibly work out, given our radically opposing personalities. But then, Kiba probably wouldn't have made all that great an impression either, had I switched with him._' Naruto commented, starting off to head back to class at a casual pace. Kyaena let out a pleading whine.

"**But you would have done wonderfully on squad eeeeeight!**" She pouted. "**Getting along with Shino would have been a bit tricky, but-**" .

'_But you'd just love it if I would get to spend so much time with a girl who's never gotten past saying hi to me._' Naruto shook his head. '_You have to be careful, Kya-chan, or you might start to sound a little too selfish yourself. Leaving Kiba to deal with Sasuke while you try to play matchmaker with Hinata and myself._' He admonished playfully.

"**Welllllll...**" Kyaena cleared her throat awkwardly, "**It's not like Kiba would be in any danger. I'm sure he would be able to handle himself against the Uchiha-teme.**" She said confidently.

'_So he would, but I can't?_' Naruto asked shortly as his jaw tensed slightly. Kyaena nearly hit the roof.

"**NO! I didn't mean it like that! I'm sorry!**" Kyaena pleaded. She hated when things like that happened. She would say something, but Naruto would take it the wrong way, severely upsetting him... or insulting his integrity.

'_Forget it._' Naruto brushed it off. '_I'm going to see this through. Whether this team passes or fails, I won't let it because of lack of effort on my part._' Naruto's eyes hardened as his steps took on a sharper tone. '_If becoming a ninja means I have to put up with that arrogant teme, so be it. I'll deal with it some how. I just hope he gets down off his pedestal before he's knocked off by the harsh reality of life._' Naruto shook his head in pity of what he considered Sasuke's greatest fault. The belief that he was superior to everyone.

"**Personally, I hope he falls, and hits bottom HARD.**" Kyaena muttered to herself as she cleaned her claws.

'_To be honest, I'm a little surprised he showed up so quick. I guess I didn't knock him out as well as I thought._' Naruto frowned slightly.

(NARUTO'S FLASHBACK)

"...Damn it Sasuke! Will you just shut up and listen!?" Naruto fumed. He and Sasuke stood in the room Naruto had just entered a few moments ago, the window shutting behind him.

"Forget it, dead-last. I'm not going to fall for any of your stupid pranks. I have no reason to believe you." Sasuke said in a bored tone as he finished the last bite of his sandwich.

"Your ninja career is at stake. That's not a good enough reason?" Naruto huffed. "Look, I'm just asking you to tell Sakura-san what I've told you. That's all!" He urged.

"No. Deal with that crazy girl yourself." Sasuke glared. Naruto glared back, then shrugged.

"Have it your way." Naruto smirked, as suddenly another Naruto appeared behind Sasuke, catching him up in a bear hug across the chest. "But I'll still need 'you' to talk to her." The original Naruto reached into one of his ninkits.

"N-Naruto... You c-can't..." Sasuke wheezed as the clone squeezed the breath out of him with ease.

"Sorry. Just a matter of priorities." The original Naruto shrugged again as he held up a small vial under Sasuke's nose. "Now be good, and go nighty-night."

Sasuke tried to turn his head away, but when the Naruto clone suddenly loosened it's grip, Sasuke instinctively gasped a deep breath to get air back into his lungs, and inhaled the knock-out fumes. Two seconds later, his eyes rolled up as he collapsed to the floor.

Naruto transformed into Sasuke, and left via the window.

(END NARUTO FLASHBACK)

'_Maybe I should have tied him up also. But then I'd have had to go untie him to get him back to class. Argh. Any Uchiha would be so troublesome._' Naruto grumbled, walking into the academy halls.

'_**More than you know, Naru-kun.**_' Kyaena frowned to herself. '**_More than you know._'**

* * *

Proceeding along a different route into the academy, Sakura had caught up to Sasuke.

"Wait! Please wait, Sasuke-kun! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you like that!" She begged as she nearly fell to her knees in front of the brooder.

"Hurt me?" Sasuke's eye twitched. "HURT ME!? You think that _you _could actually hurt me!?" He hissed.

"No no!" Sakura shook her head franticly. "I meant I'm sorry for... accidentally hitting you! I didn't mean to!"

"Why, because you thought I was Naruto?" Sasuke asked slowly with narrowed eyes, his demeanor lost on the girl who nodded eagerly.

"Of course! That baka is always messing things up and causing trouble!" Sakura smiled, misinterpreting his words. "He has no regard for anything but himself!" She paused as she considered her next words. "You know why he's always causing trouble? It's because he wasn't raised right. He just whatever pops into his head because he doesn't know what it's like to be punished on a personal level. It's all because he doesn't have parents." She said smugly.

Sasuke's eye widened slightly.

"You think that he is..." He started to say, but honestly was at a slight loss at the implications of what Sakura was saying.

"Think about it! He doesn't have any one to answer to, never has, which is why he's become so selfish! If I tried to do the things he gets away with my parents would ground me for life, so of course I don't do them! Without parents, it's the only possible outcome that one becomes a complete idiot." She finished with confidence.

"...Alone..." Sasuke muttered, only recalling what Naruto had said in disguise a short time ago.

"What?" Sakura blinked, and cringed slightly when Sasuke seemed to stare right through her... or past her.

"Being scolded by parents is nothing. You can't possibly compare it. Even Naruto knows what can't be escaped in this world. Emptiness. Isolation." He was speaking quietly, almost to himself.

"Wh-what are you saying?" Sakura blinked with slight fear at the sudden change in Sasuke's attitude. He blinked as he seemed to refocus on Sakura.

"You think so little of Naruto, consider him to be worthless. And yet he fooled you completely, even making you think that I was him in comparison! That would make you less than worthless! You're so annoying and pathetic... You make me sick!" Sasuke spat as he walked off.

Sakura stood motionless in the hallway, stunned, shocked, wide-eyed and trembling.

'_N-no... It can't be... Sasuke-kun thinks... that I'm..._' She slowly sank to her knees as the terrible feeling crushed down on her. '_I... I can't believe how much this... hurts..._' She clutched her hands to her chest. '_Ino's insults never hurt like this... Why? Why is it so different, hearing it from..._' Sakura looked down at her hands. '_Is it because I look up to Sasuke-kun? Because his opinion is important to me?_' She would never understand where the next thought came from. '_Is this how Naruto feels, whenever I...?_' She shook her head in denial. '_No! This is Naruto's fault! He did this! Telling those lies, trying to trick me into being nicer to him!_' Sakura got to her feet, and started off back to class. '_Well I'll show him! I won't let him mess up things any more!_' She kept walking, despite a nagging thought. '_But... Naruto did trick me. I fell for it completely. Has he been training on his own...?_' She wondered.

* * *

A slight ways across the village, two men were paying an unannounced visit to the building that served as apartment and home of one Naruto Uzumaki.

Standing in the tidy living space were the white and red robed Hokage, and a jounin with silvery hair.

"So, this is where Naruto lives, hmm?" Kakashi wondered aloud as he casually looked around. "I have a hard time believing that he owns the whole building."

"It's belonged to him for about five years." Sarutobi replied as he nibbled on his pipe. "It had been abandoned before, so no one had any interest when I signed it to Naruto's name. Right afterward, I had it renovated. Naruto's done quite well with the place." He commented with a small hint of pride.

"I was half expecting it to be a mess in here. A young boy with no one to pick up after him... Usually that would translate into a very messy room." Kakashi remarked as he walked over and started to reach for the door of a cabinet...

"Uh, (ahem), Kakashi..." Sarutobi cleared his throat, "I would strongly advise against touching anything in here other than the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets."

Kakashi paused with his hand inches from the cabinet knob to look at his commander.

"Oh? And why is that?" He asked in a semi-interested tone. Sarutobi smirked slightly.

"Because the last thief who tried to take what little Naruto has, came out as slightly less of a man than when he came in." The Hokage watched in amusement as Kakashi's one eye widened almost imperceptivity, and his hand drifted away from the cabinet.

"He has this place trapped?" Kakashi asked in a normal, conversational tone... even as he walked over towards the refrigerator.

"Quite deviously, as a matter of fact." Sarutobi nodded, reflexitively glancing around to places he knew traps were hidden. But he was never entirely sure if he had them all identified. He usually let Naruto offer him a seat whenever he came to visit, so as not to test his luck.

Kakashi opened up the refrigerator, seeing bottles of fresh milk and fruit juice, along with whole fruit of various types, carefully wrapped to preserve them longer. One or two fish that had been cleaned were also wrapped, awaiting to be consumed, along with eggs, a few deli meats and condiments. Kakashi closed the refrigerator and opened the cabinets beside it. Plenty of instant cup ramen, a few canned soups of various types and a few boxes of plain cereals. A quick check of the bread box revealed two seemingly new full loafs of wheat bread.

"Stranger and stranger." Kakashi wondered in a confused tone. "I'd almost swear there was a woman's touch to this place. At least in the kitchen." He remarked as he opened another cabinet to reveal the clean, neatly stacked dishes and cups.

"Not surprising, considering a woman _has _been taking care of Naruto for longer than I know." Sarutobi replied. Kakashi turned an even more surprised look to the Hokage.

"I thought Naruto was an orphan. I haven't heard anything about anyone adopting him." He said with a slightly annoyed tone in his voice. He hated not having important information, no matter how unimportant. And what's more, when it came to rumors about Naruto, word traveled through the village faster than a lightning jutsu. If any woman had helped Naruto to such an extent, the whole village should have known. '_So how is it I haven't heard a thing?_' Kakashi thought in irritation.

"I didn't say she adopted him, I said she's been taking care of him. Her name is Kyaena Unaikaji, and Naruto has never said anything but the utmost praise for her." Sarutobi corrected, with a slightly wistful look on his face for a moment. "But that aside for the moment, do you care to tell me why you wanted to see Naruto's apartment?" He asked with a intense stare.

"Just trying to get an understanding of one of my potential subordinates." Kakashi shrugged.

"Really." Sarutobi took a puff on his pipe. "Well then, that's fine. Also, in addition to Naruto, Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha will be the others in squad seven, that you've been assigned to." He paused to take a breath. "Kakashi... Regarding Sasuke... You do know why you've been assigned to squad seven, right?"

"Hmm? Oh, I just assumed it was a standard assignment, you know, it being my turn since I haven't been in the sensei circle in a few years." Kakashi waved it off nonchalantly. Sarutobi sweat-dropped.

"You volunteered." The Hokage muttered. "You are the only one in the village who could teach Sasuke about the sharingan... _if_ he possesses it. However..." Sarutobi's voice became hard, the evidence of his long ninja career, "Don't ever forget that the other two are part of the team as well. I expect the sharingan to be the only thing that is exclusive for Sasuke's training. And I don't expect you to be easy on any of them. Being genin is the most difficult step in a ninja's life. They'll do most of their growing, both physical and mental, at this stage." Sarutobi motioned Kakashi to follow him, as they exited Naruto's apartment.

"Well, that's assuming they pass the test." Kakashi said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Sarutobi locked Naruto's door with his own personal key, then turned to his companion.

"Oh, and there's one more thing." Sarutobi reached into one of his pockets and pulled out a folded piece of paper. "I was... asked, to relay this to you." He handed over the paper.

Kakashi unfolded it and began reading. After a few moments, he paled slightly. He looked back at Sarutobi.

"Um... She does know that such a thing isn't physically possible... right?" Kakashi asked in a rarely nervous voice, usually only used in... special circumstances.

"You know how she is." Sarutobi shrugged. "It wouldn't stop her from trying... over and over again."

"I see." Kakashi cleared his throat as he pocketed the paper. "Well, if that's everything, Hokage-sama, I need to get going. It's time to meet my squad-to-be."

Sarutobi raised an amused eyebrow.

"Don't be too late this time, Kakashi. Naruto hasn't quite gotten out of his pranking habits yet." The aged ninja chuckled. Kakashi gestured in a 'what-about-it' manner.

"What's the worst he could do? Drop a bucket of water on me?" Kakashi gave a salute as he leapt away across the rooftops.

As Sarutobi started off for the Hokage tower, he chuckled to himself.

'_You could consider yourself lucky if that's the least he does to you._' He puffed on his pipe contentedly.

* * *

In the academy, the class had re-assembled. As Iruka looked over the group, he noticed that almost everyone was now sitting in a way that the squads were sitting together. Since three could sit at each of the table desks, it seamed obvious. However, Iruka noticed, with quickly increasing worry and disappointment, that while Sakura was sitting next to Sasuke where they had been before, Naruto was now sitting on the other side of the room at one of the otherwise empty desks, his backpack tucked next to his seat.

'_Not even one day has passed, and already he's having problems._' Iruka frowned ever so slightly. Sitting in her seat, Hinata had noticed it too, with a look of worry on her face.

'_Oh no... What's happened to Naruto-kun now?_' Hinata wondered as she glanced over at the only pink-haired girl in the class.

"Alright everyone, quiet down!" Iruka yelled out above everyone. When they were silent, he continued. "Alright everyone. In a moment, I'll bring in the jounin who will be your senseis. I'd like to remind you all that they are elite experienced ninja, so you'd be wise to listen to what they tell you. Also, it would be in your best interests to make a good first impression, so try to behave yourselves." Iruka gave a glance at Naruto, who stuck out his tongue.

Iruka walked over and opened the door, letting in eight people. Iruka glanced back and forth, giving a questioning tilt of his head. A couple of the jounin simply shrugged and shook their heads, making Iruka sigh. They lined up, and Iruka picked up his clipboard. In order, one by one, the jounin stepped forward, gave their name, and called the squad they were assigned, leading the graduate cadets out of the room. But Naruto's gaze was locked onto one jounin in particular, the only kunoichi of the lot.

'_Whoa... She's... Her eyes..._' Naruto thought in a slight daze. '_I can't believe it... She has red eyes..._' He stared at the dark haired woman who, strangely enough, glanced at him once or twice.

"**Well, that's certainly interesting.**" Kyaena perked up her ears. "**As I understand it, naturally occurring red eyes are far less than one in a million among humans.**" She tilted her head slightly as she looked at the woman through Naruto's eyes. After a moment of silence, Kyaena noted that Naruto was staring. "**Now now Naru-kun, it isn't polite to ogle women like that.**" She giggled, immediately causing Naruto to turn away, blushing slightly. It was an action that both Kurenai and Hinata noticed.

'_I-I wasn't ogling!_' Naruto sputtered. '_It... It just caught me off guard! I never expected... I mean... What are the odds... err..._' Naruto was at a genuine loss, making Kyaena giggle even more. '_It's just... After so many cold hating eyes for so long... Yours are the only ones I've ever trusted unconditionally._' The statement gave Kyaena a serious jolt. '_I'm not sure how I would handle having another woman with such eyes around me._' Naruto seemed quite unnerved. '_Of course, hers are still not as pretty as yours._' He added quickly.

"**Mm-Hmm.**" Kyaena hummed in amusement. "**Well, how about you try not to freak out on me, _unless _she's squad seven's sensei? I swear, at times it almost seems like you _try _to pull more problems onto yourself.**" She sighed, laying down in her pillows.

'_Ok, ok. Sorry._' Naruto scratched at his neck a little. '_Seriously though, it really caught me off guard._'

"**I'll try not to get jealous.**" Kyaena teased.

Naruto waited, listening, as squad by squad was led out of the room by their senseis. They proceeded up to the last few...

"Ok, I'm sorry, squad seven, but your sensei isn't here yet. You'll have to wait." Iruka said, getting a glare from Sasuke and Naruto. "Now, squad eight..."

The kunoichi Naruto had been observing stepped forward.

"I'm Kurenai Yuuhi. Squad eight, please follow me." She said politely.

As Naruto watched Kiba, Hinata and Shino stand up to walk down, a thought occurred to him.

'_Hey, wait, you had wanted me to be on squad eight..._' He thought quickly.

"**So?**" Kyaena asked with a slight tilt of her head.

'_I wonder..._' Naruto raised his hand. "Excuse me, Kurenai-sensei?"

The squad leader paused near the door to look at the blonde.

"Yes?" She asked, hiding her surprised curiosity.

"Sorry to interrupt, and I know this may sound a bit strange, but if you don't mind my asking, do you happen to have any particular specialty?" Naruto asked with a politeness that surprised most of the room.

"Being a pervert again, dead-last?" Sasuke commented in a seemingly off-handed manner, but was secretly hoping the jounin would severely injure the orange lemon head.

"Why would you ask?" Kurenai ignored the Uchiha's obvious bait as she addressed Naruto.

"He wanted to switch team spots with me earlier." Kiba offered, making Kurenai raise an eyebrow. "He's probably just wondering 'what might have been'." Kiba snickered at his own little joke as Naruto frowned slightly.

"Fine, forget it then." Naruto muttered, crossing his arms in irritation at his classmate's immaturity.

"For whatever reason you wanted to know," Kurenai offered, giving a disapproving glance at Kiba, "I happen to be most proficient in genjutsu."

Naruto's eyes snapped wide.

THUD

Everyone gaped as Naruto began banging his head on his desk.

"A-are you ok?" Kurenai asked with startled concern. Hinata was stunned beyond words, as usual.

"Yeah, (thud) I'm (thud) fine. (thud) Thank you (thud) for answering (thud) my question. (thud)" Naruto mumbled.

"**Please stop that, Naruto-kun.**" Kyaena requested with a mild sense of insistence.

"Um, ok." Kurenai said as she led her squad out of the room. Once out into the hall, she glanced over her shoulder at her team. "What was that all about?"

"Ah... N-Naruto-kun's only real problem area... is g-genjutsu." Hinata nearly whispered. "I think... h-he was hoping... that you could've h-helped him with it." She seemed quite focused on her fidgeting hands.

"Oh. A logical intention." Kurenai nodded as they continued off.

Back in the classroom, Iruka continued as Naruto kept his face down on the desk.

"Uh, ok, now that we can get back to it..." Iruka looked at his clipboard again. "Then, squad ten..."

The last jounin left stepped forward.

"I'm Asuma Sarutobi. Squad ten-" He started to say, only to be interrupted when Naruto's head shot up.

"Sarutobi!? Are you Konohamaru's father!?" Naruto blurted out in surprise, with even Kyaena's eyes wide in interest.

"Naruto! Stop messing around and acting like you know everything!" Sakura yelled, though she couldn't hit him since she was on the opposite side of the room. But she shrank back a bit when Iruka and Asuma glanced at her.

"Ah, no, I'm not." Asuma said to Naruto.

"See!" Sakura smirked.

"Konohamaru is my nephew." Asuma said, giving a smirk at Sakura, who politely turned red with embarrassment.

"Well fancy that." Naruto blinked and nodded.

"**It almost seems like you have some weird connection to their family.**" Kyaena commented, growing more amused by the minute.

"Jeeze! Can we just go already?" Ino groaned as she pulled Shikamaru and Choji along by the backs of their shirts.

"Whoa, hey! Le'go!" Shikamaru protested as Choji tried not to drop his bag of chips.

"Right, right. See you later Iruka." Asuma waved as he followed his squad out of the room.

After a few moments of silence, Iruka turned to the last three people in the room, who were glaring at him with impatience.

"Well... ah..." Iruka fidgeted.

"Iruka-sensei, where's our sensei? Shouldn't they have been here by now?" Sakura asked in confusion.

"Ah, I'm not sure. I mean, of course he was supposed to be here, but I don't know why he isn't." Iruka shrugged helplessly.

"Well, what the heck are we supposed to do now!?" Naruto demanded to know.

"Maybe the jounin heard you were on the squad, and was too afraid to show up." Sasuke intoned boredly.

Sakura just giggled, Iruka shook his head in disapproval. None of them noticed Naruto turn stiff as steel when the thought entered his mind.

'_K-...Kya-ch-chan..._' Naruto swallowed dryly, '_You... You don't think that's true... do you?_' Naruto locked his eyes forward on the black board. '_Kya-chan!?_' He clenched his jaw.

"**If it is true...**" Kyaena let out a long low growl, "**Then whoever it was, wasn't deserving of you.**" Her tails twitched in severe bitterness.

The four sat in the class room, waiting. Strangely, no one said a thing. Sasuke brooded. Sakura daydreamed. Iruka worked on a few papers at his desk. And Naruto sat, desperately trying to keep the fear and disappointment out of his heart at the prospect that his presence, and the bigotry of the village, would ruin not only his ninja career, but now, also, two others who had no connection to his fate.

After nearly two hours, Iruka was forced to say goodbye as he had other duties to attend to, leaving the last three cadets to themselves. The clock kept ticking, regardless. As yet another hour and a half went by, Naruto's anxiety was getting the better of him, causing him to get up and start pacing around. Although Sakura and Sasuke gave him looks of annoyance, they still said nothing. But strangely, Sasuke was slowly mulling over a particular thought that kept nagging at him.

'_Naruto said... that Sakura would even attack the Hokage, if I asked her to._' He pondered. He was resisting the urge to glance at Sakura, knowing full well that if he did, she'd notice, and only bother him more. '_She was willing to hit me, thinking it was Naruto. She's willing to take risks for me. She has the strength of anger, but hasn't learned to focus it yet._' Sasuke's jaw twitched slightly. '_Maybe, if I take time to give her a direction... she might be of use. Maybe she's not so worthless after all._' He took a chance and glanced at Sakura, who was watching him, noticed, and blushed hard with a smile and giggle. '_If I can learn to tolerate her annoying presence, that is._' He huffed, quickly turning his gaze back forward.

Naruto kept pacing, a little too much energy building up in him.

'_Dang it, I hate this. I hate being nervous like this._' Naruto fumed, walking from the door, over to the window, over to Iruka's desk.

"**Well, why don't you do what you usually do to calm yourself?**" Kyaena offered. Naruto paused as he glanced at his two supposed teammates.

'_I'd rather not do anything in front of them. Besides, Iruka-sensei would be steamed red if I damaged the classroom attempting to do some training._' Naruto sighed.

"**No, not training! The other thing!**" Kyaena snickered. Naruto blinked for a moment, before slowly smirking.

'_Ohhhh... **That **thing._' Naruto glanced around the room rapidly, until his gaze came to rest on one of the chalkboard erasers. He walked over to pick it up, while also reaching into one of his ninkits on his belt.

Sakura noticed when Naruto started fiddling with the eraser, then pulled a stepstool over to the door.

"Naruto, what are you doing? Sit down!" Sakura hissed.

"I'm sick of sitting. I'm just trying to relax a little by having a little fun. No harm in that. Besides, it's his own fault for being late." Naruto chuckled to himself as he carefully propped the eraser at the top of the door frame, just barely held in place by the slightly ajar door itself.

"You know you're just asking for trouble. You really shouldn't do that." Sakura scolded. However, on the inside, '_Cha! I love it! The look on the guy's face will be priceless!_'

Sasuke gave a mild huff.

"Our sensei is a jounin, an elite ninja. Do you really think he'd fall for such a pathetic trap?" He cricked his fingers slightly.

"Sasuke-kun's right! You're such an idioit, Naruto! And...?" Sakura paused as she and the others noticed a hand reaching to open the door.

_boik_

The eraser bounced off the man's head, dumping a heavy amount of powder into his silvery mop top hair.

"Hahahahaha! You know, sometimes it really _is _the simple things that are the best! Hahahaha!" Naruto and Kyaena laughed, while Sakura looked aghast.

"I'm so sorry sensei! I tried to tell him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen! I'd never do anything like that!" Sakura apologized franticly, however, on the inside... '_HA! Bulls-eye dead center! Set'im up, and knock'im down!_'

Sasuke gave a nearly imperceptible snort.

'_This is a jounin? He seems as clueless as Naruto._' He frowned to himself.

Kakashi slowly bent over and picked up the eraser. Looking at it like it was some strange foreign object, he looked over at the three.

"Hmm. How can I put this. My first impression of this group..." Kakashi paused to consider before finishing. "You're a bunch of idiots."

The three graduates slumped.

"**If he thinks you're a baka, he's in for a real surprise in a few minutes!**" Kyaena howled with mirth.

'_...Maybe I shouldn't have done that._' Naruto thought, though he was still trying to keep his grin from returning. '_I don't really want to scare him away or anything..._' He went over to his seat and picked up his backpack.

"**Like you said, it's his own fault for being so late. He obviously doesn't take his duties seriously.**" Kyaena huffed with a shake of her head.

"Well. I'm sure you've had enough of this stuffy classroom for the day. Why don't we head up to the roof court-yard for some fresh air?" Kakashi motioned for them to follow.

As they made their way through the halls and up the stairs, Kyaena just giggled again.

"**Being in sunlight will only speed things up!**" She swished her tails in eager anticipation. Oh how she loved Naruto's pranks.

The group made it out onto the open court rooftop, where even a few trees had been brought up and planted to give a pleasant area, the likes of which people could sit outside to have lunch during classes or something. Setting themselves to a balcony, the three younger people sat down on the steps, with Naruto setting his backpack aside while Kakashi leaned on the railing.

"Alright. First off, how about you introduce yourselves, one at a time." Kakashi gestured to them.

"Introduce ourselves?" Sakura asked quizzically. "What are we supposed to say?"

"**Merciful Arceus****, that bubble-gum brained twitch doesn't even know how to introduce herself!? How could anyone think she was smart!?**" Kyaena hissed with disgust, as Naruto tried to keep his mouth shut and unexpressive. Despite his agreement.

"You know, the usual. Things you like, things you dislike, dreams for the future, hobbies... That sort of thing." Kakashi shrugged.

"Well, since we already know each other... or so I thought," Naruto commented, giving a glance at his teammates who gave him slight glares in return, "Why don't you go first, since we don't know you. You're the stranger here."

"Me?" Kakashi blinked, as if it the suggestion was a thought that had never occurred to him. "Well, ok. My name is Kakashi Hatake. My likes and dislikes... ... I don't feel like telling you those." He shrugged, getting raised eyebrows from Sakura and Naruto. "My dream for the future... ... Hmm. I've never really thought about it. And as for my hobbies... ... I have lots of hobbies." He shrugged again. Sakura and Naruto sweat-dropped.

"Well that was useless. All we learned was his name." Sakura whispered to the two boys sitting next to her, who each gave a slight nod.

"Ok then, your turn. Starting on my right." Kakashi scratched slightly at his head as he pointed at Naruto, who straightened up with a smile.

"The name's Naruto Uuuuuuuzamaki! I like ramen and fruit, going fishing, exercising and training in my ninja skills. I really enjoy studying the lessons that Kyaena-chan teaches me-" Naruto was saying, but was interrupted by a totally baffled Sakura.

"Hold it! What the heck are you talking about!?" Sakura glared hard at Naruto. "You never study! And who's this Kyaena? If you already have a girlfriend, why do you always bother me!?" She demanded.

"First of all, you wouldn't know if I study, because you never cared to know." Naruto sighed. "Second, Kyaena-chan isn't my girlfriend. She's the woman who raised me. She's the closest thing to a kaasan I have." Naruto's face fell slightly. "Although... she's always discouraged me from thinking of her that way..." Naruto mumbled, making Sakura flinch slightly and take on a somewhat embarrassed guilty look.

"**It's really for the best, Naru-kun.**" Kyaena purred softly. "**Trust me. Someday, you'll see that it's better this way.**"

'_Maybe._' Naruto thought before shaking himself back to attention. "Anyway, back to my intro. My hobbies aren't really much as I spend most of my time training, but I like to play the occasional prank to relieve a little stress." Naruto grinned at Kakashi who sweat-dropped, then scratched at his head a little. "My dislikes are excessively rainy days on end since it usually interferes with my training, bigots who mistreat others without knowing the real reasons, I dislike perverts, I _really _dislike liars, and..." Naruto's face slowly became a vicious scowl. "I absolutely HATE... traitors." Naruto's voice was so cold it actually seemed to shiver in the air.

The three other people were wide-eyed at Naruto's last statement, and the unfamiliar look of darkness in his face.

'_So. It seems the dead-last has some issues. Maybe that could be useful to know..._' Sasuke thought, trying to hide his surprise.

'_Cha! Who does Naruto think he's fooling!? Trying to act all cool, when he's just a baka! Sasuke-kun is so much cooler than Naruto could ever hope to be!_' Inner Sakura fumed in outrage, but another line of thought in her normal mind was paralleling it. '_I thought Naruto was an orphan. I didn't know someone was involved with him... even if it seems that she didn't do the best job in the world. I can't believe I made fun of him not having parents..._' Sakura held her tongue, not knowing what to say. '_That was low... Even I should have known better..._'

Kakashi stared as Naruto's scowl disappeared and became all smiles again.

"And my dream is to become the greatest Hokage! Because doing so will be proof that I've finally proven my worth in the world, and will have earned the respect of the village!" Naruto beamed even as Kakashi frowned behind his mask.

'_Except for the becoming Hokage thing... his answers weren't anything like what I was expecting them to be._' Kakashi thought as he tried to ignore the itching in his scalp. "Ok, you're next pinky." Kakashi pointed at Sakura, who's eye twitched, but she smiled regardless.

"I'm Sakura Haruno. What I like... I mean, who I like..." She squirmed slightly with a blush on her face as she kept glancing at Sasuke, who didn't even look at her. "And, my hobby is, I mean... ... My dream for the future is..." Sakura let out a small giggling squeal.

"Ah... And what do you dislike?" Kakashi asked with a slightly awkward tone at her behavior.

"NARUTO!" Sakura blared out without hesitation, making Naruto smack his face in exasperated disbelief.

"**Hmm. Should I count that as a mark against her? I dunno...**" Kyaena commented in a sour tone and with a twitchy eye.

'_Hmm. It seems girls her age are more interested in love than in ninja training._' Kakashi pondered. "Ok, last one." Kakashi pointed to Sasuke.

"My name... is Sasuke Uchiha. I hate a lot of things, and don't particularly like anything." His low serious tone made Sakura give a tiny pout of disappointment. "What I have is not a dream, because I _will _make it a reality. I intend to restore my clan... and to kill a certain man."

The others stared at him in silence, but each had their own thought.

'_Ohhh... Sasuke-kun is soooo hot!_' Sakura blushed harder than ever as she quivered slightly.

'_Hmm. It's just as I thought._' Kakashi thought grimly, though he was getting quite irritated as he scratched at his head with more vigor.

Naruto was looking at Sasuke with a half-neutral, half-ponderous look.

'_I'll bet you a hundred gold coins that he's talking about Itachi._' Naruto offered off-handedly.

"**Pft. That's so obvious, it's not even a bet.**" Kyaena snorted.

"Good! You're each unique and have your own ideas and opinions!" Kakashi nodded, even as he was now constantly scratching at his head. "We'll have our first... our first... mission! Yes, the first mission, tomorrow!" His eye was twitching slightly.

"What? A mission?" Naruto frowned with confusion. "What... kind of mission?" He asked slowly. '_I couldn't have been wrong. Iruka-sensei told me there would be one more test. But... if he lied-_'

"**No, I don't think Iruka lied. This jounin, Hatake, is up to something. And there's something I don't like about his Hitai-ate hanging over his left eye like that.**" Kyaena growled lightly. '_**There's something strange... almost familiar, about this man. A feeling that I don't like at all.**_' She bared her teeth slightly.

"Our first task will only involve just the four of us. A survival exercise." Kakashi stated, as he forced his hand away from his hair and down to his side, though his hands were shaking slightly. The itching was getting insane. '_What the hell is wrong with me!?_' He wondered in annoyance.

"Why are we doing an exercise? I thought we were going to have a real mission!" Sakura asked. "We already did lots of this stuff in the academy! That's why were here!"

"This isn't going to be just a simple exercise. It's nothing like your previous training." Kakashi said, then flinched as he stopped his hands from raising up again.

"What kind of training is it then?" Naruto asked, grinning at Kakashi's behavior. Kyaena was beginning to giggle also.

When Kakashi started chuckling, the three students raised and eyebrow. Well, not Sasuke, he was too 'cool' for something so trivial.

"Hey, that was a normal question. What's so funny sensei?" Sakura asked with slightly suspicious eyes.

"Well, if I told you, you'd chicken out." Kakashi shrugged. At the prompting looks he got, he continued. "Of the twenty-seven graduates that made it this far, only nine will actually be accepted as genin. The other eighteen will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. In other words, this is a make-it or break-it pass-fail test, with the chances of you failing being at least sixty-six percent!" He watched the three for their reaction, and what a reaction it was.

'_Naruto was telling the truth!?_' Sasuke and Sakura's eyes both widened as they immediately shot glares at Naruto.

"Hey, don't look at me like that." Naruto huffed with a frown. "I tried to warn you two. It's not my fault you wouldn't believe me."

"What are you talking about? What did you try to warn them about? ... grr." Kakashi gave a hard glare at Naruto, his patience a little thin from his relentless discomfort, which actually seemed to be spreading. Now he was starting to itch behind his ears as well.

"N-Naruto... tried to tell us before lunch. He said that we still had one more test to take to become genin." Sakura was significantly subdued, due to the fact she was feeling REALLY bad about what had happened. '_He was telling the truth. He really was just trying to help us. And now, who knows what will happen because we didn't want to listen._' Her stomach flipped on itself with worry and guilt.

"So, that graduation test we already took. It was just...?" Sasuke's eye was twitching now at the extreme irritation that Naruto had known all along, while he hadn't.

"Oh, that?" Kakashi shrugged, trying to pretend to just scratch at his hair in a casual way, but his nails were really digging into his scalp hard. "That was to eliminate the most hopeless cases. The ones that passed are the only ones who have the potential to become genin... or not. I'm the one who will decide if you pass or fail. Be at training field seven at five AM. Bring all your gear and weapons." Kakashi ordered with a moment of complete seriousness as he handed papers to the three. "These are the specific orders. Read them carefully... And don't be late!" He stepped back again, but sent a hard glare at Naruto who didn't see because he was reading the paper. '_This could be problematic. What else has Naruto warned them about?_' He tried to refrain from biting his cheek.

'_Naruto was right all along! This is going to be a team effort! If I fail, I'll be separated from Sasuke-kun! This is a test of love!_' Sakura steeled herself with determination. '_I really need to apologize to Naruto after we're done. After all, he was only trying to preserve our ninja careers._' She added as an afterthought as she looked at her paper.

'_Another test won't make any difference to me. It'll be easy._' Sasuke cracked his knuckles once as he crumpled up the paper.

'_Well, at least Iruka-sensei was right. But the test is tomorrow._' Naruto thought for a moment as he read over the orders. After a moment he realized something. '_Hey wait, isn't field seven the one with-_'

"**Yes, it is. I'm sorry, Naru-kun.**" Kyaena responded sorrowfully. She took a breath. "**But at least, with forewarning, this should work out better. And I have an idea that will really test this jounin's intentions towards you.**" She nodded with satisfaction at the idea. "**Sorry Naru-kun, but I don't know if you'll be getting much sleep tonight.**"

Before Naruto could ask her what she meant, Kakashi jumped to his feet.

"Alright. That's all. Your dismissed." He said with a slightly hurried tone, eager to get out of there and solve his... problem. "Oh, and I almost forgot. I would strongly suggest that you skip breakfast tomorrow. If you eat... you'll throw up!" He cursed himself for nearly forgetting to say that last part. But it was no use, the itching was so bad, he had to bring both hands up to scratch desperately at it.

'_Oh please. The whole eat-or-not-to-eat trick? It's getting old._' Naruto grimaced, with Kyaena mirroring his actions in agreement.

'_Throw up!? How hard is this test going to be!?_' Sakura thought in a slight panic, and thoroughly confused at her sensei's strange behavior.

As Kakashi turned to jump off the balcony, Naruto finally smirked.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei! _I_ would strongly suggest you stop scratching! It only makes the itching powder work more!" He snickered.

Kakashi froze. He slowly turned back to look at Naruto with a crazy eye.

"ITCHING POWDER!?" He screamed as he scratched for all his worth, staggering around. "When did you-!? How did you-!?"

"Naruto?!" Sakura shrieked, "What have you done!? How-!?" She was effectively running in place in panic, but had no idea what to do about it.

"Hey, you were right there when it happened! It was just a few minutes ago, when I dropped that eraser on his head." Naruto was trying to hold in his giggles, but Kyaena laughed long and hard. "Iruka-sensei is a stickler for keeping order in the classroom, as much as he can, anyway. Did you really think he would let the chalkboard erasers get that dusty? Hahahahaha!"

Sakura was mortified as she looked on helplessly, Sasuke, amazingly, still hadn't moved from his spot. But he was having a hard time accepting what he was witnessing.

'_Naruto used the eraser as cover, mixing the itching powder with the chalk dust. And this jounin fell for it!_' He thought in shock. '_If Naruto had put a poison, or a reactive acidic compound in it instead... He could have killed, or at least seriously incapacitated, a **jounin**!_' Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and twitched. '_Is Naruto that good?... ... Or is this so-called sensei really that much a baka?_'

Kakashi on the other hand... was having different thoughts...

'_AARRGGHH! I can't believe this! I _thought _that the eraser alone was a little weak! But if the others find out I fell for one of Naruto's pranks, in the first ten seconds no less, I'll never hear the end of it!_' He fumed as he regained his balance, forcing himself to stop scratching. "Naruto! W-why did you-?"

"Hey, I already told you, I pull pranks to relieve stress... for myself anyway." Naruto shrugged. "If you hadn't been so late, I wouldn't have gotten nervous. If I hadn't gotten nervous, I wouldn't have pulled the prank. Most likely." He grinned. "Well, if that's everything, I've got a dinner appointment at Ichiraku's... And as for you sensei, you should go dunk your head in a bucket of water!" Naruto paused as his face turned blank. "No, seriously, if you want the itching to stop, wash it out, quick."

No sooner had the advice left Naruto's mouth, Kakashi was off like a shot, over the railing, racing out of sight. The three ninja potentials blinked, and Sasuke was the first to move.

"I'm out of here. Don't follow me." He muttered as he ran over and jumped over the railing himself, heading off where ever it was he goes.

"**Yeah right. Like we'd want to.**" Kyaena growled slightly.

Naruto got up, brushing himself off and pulling on his backpack. He paused when he noticed Sakura staring at him.

"What?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Idiot..." Sakura hissed through clenched teeth, but stopped and took a deep breath. "Look, I should pound you into the ground for what you just did... But I'm not going to." She sighed. Seeing Naruto's totally confused look, she shrugged, suddenly feeling a little embarrassed. "Well... You did try to warn us... about the last test, I mean. I'm... sorry, for not believing you." She muttered. "But you still shouldn't have done that to our sensei!" She added quickly when Naruto tried to open his mouth. "You were trying to tell us that we needed to work together, then you go and do something that could get us all in trouble!"

"**Blah, blah, blah. All she does is complain.**" Kyaena snorted.

"No." Naruto shook his head, ignoring Kyaena for the moment. "Kakashi-sensei can't hold what I did against us. It had nothing to do with the squad or the test. If he was to make trouble over it, he'd get in trouble, and we'd probably just get a different sensei." Naruto shrugged. "A ninja's life is stressful enough. You have to be able to laugh at yourself in this line of work. If he can't, it would make me worry how he would react in a serious situation. This is just normal. As a new team, of course there's going to be a period of adjustment, both for ourselves, and for our sensei. Besides..." Naruto said as he started to walk away, "I don't know why you're so concerned about my pranks. After all, I've never pulled any on you. See you tomorrow!" He gave a cheerful wave as he leapt over the railing.

Sakura stood blinking in surprise for several moments after Naruto had left.

'_Hey... Now that he mentioned it... He's right! He's never done a prank on me!_' She realized in amazement. She thought as hard as she could about the whole academy year she had spent in the same class as him. '_He's done pranks on nearly everyone in class. I don't understand. Could it be that he just never got around to me? Or a few of the others? But... He's pulled more pranks on Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji than some of the others... and they seemed to be better friends with him._' Sakura frowned to herself as she turned and headed for the stairs back into the academy. '_What does that say about me? Does Naruto like me enough that he won't pull a prank on me out of concern for my feelings, or does he not consider me enough of a friend, someone he wouldn't bother wasting his time on to pull a prank?_' Sakura walked on for a few minutes, before she made a face. '_Gah, I can't believe I'm worrying over whether Naruto would pull a prank on me or not. This has been a very stressful day._' She shook her head.

* * *

Having taken most of his gear back to his apartment for the moment, Naruto made a quick turn around to head to Ichiraku's for an early dinner. Actually, after hearing Kyaena's idea, he would have preferred to eat at the apartment so he could get to work on it, but he had a hunch he had people waiting for him.

Sure enough, when Naruto got to Ichiraku's, he had a significant surprise, as Sarutobi, Iruka and Konohamaru were all there.

"Hiya guys!" Naruto smiled cheerfully as he hopped up on the stool next to Konohamaru.

"Ah, Naruto! I was wondering when you'd show up." Iruka nodded.

"Well, to tell the truth, I almost didn't." Naruto shrugged, getting a gasp out of Sarutobi, Iruka, Teuchi and Ayame. Naruto raised an eyebrow. "No no, it's not like that. I just have some more work to do, and almost considered eating at my apartment. But then I remembered that my ramen tonight is compliments of Old-Man-Hokage!" Naruto grinned again with a wink at the eldest man present. "Don't worry, I'm only having four bowls this time around."

"What!? Four bowls!?" Konohamaru balked. "I haven't even finished my first one! Although I've got to admit, this stuff is pretty good!" He slurped up a noodle.

"Only four? Are you feeling alright?" Sarutobi asked with small concern. After all, for Naruto to eat less than ten bowls was a rarity, and if he went under six bowls, that usually meant something was wrong. Not that Sarutobi's wallet was complaining...

"Yeah I'm fine. Like I said, I just have some work to do, so I can't hang around long." Naruto paused, then quickly reached into his pocket, fumbling slightly until he pulled out a ryo bill. "Before I forget again, Konohamaru, this is for that underwear you were pining about." Naruto handed the money to Konohamaru, who's eyes promptly bugged out.

"WHOA!" The smaller boy exclaimed in shock. "Th-th-this..."

Sarutobi leaned forward to get a better look, and his own eyes widened in surprise.

"Naruto, that's-" He started to say, but Naruto waved him off.

"It's the smallest bill I have with me, and besides, it's not that big a deal." Naruto turned to the cooks who were waiting expectedly. "Ok! A beef, a miso, a stew and a special! Hit me!"

Ayame giggled as she handed Naruto a bowl of miso that was already ready as Teuchi got to work on the others. Konohamaru, who had been drooling slightly over the ryou in his hand, abruptly looked up when Naruto started slurping... or rather, inhaling, his meal. Even as Konohamaru opened his mouth to comment, Naruto up-ended his bowl to finish the broth.

"Holy smoke! How did you do that!?" Konohamaru stared with wide eyes at the empty bowl Naruto placed slightly to the side.

"Lots and lots... and **lots**,of practice!" Naruto chuckled as Ayame set his beef ramen in front of him. Naruto turned to look at Sarutobi. "Speaking of smoke, was there something you needed to tell me, Old-Man?"

Sarutobi paused in sipping his tea to consider for a moment.

"No, not that I can recall. Why do you ask?" Sarutobi picked up a bread stick to dip in his tea. Naruto shrugged.

"I thought I smelled some of your pipe incense lingering in the air when I got back to my apartment." Naruto proceeded to inha-, I mean, slurp, his second bowl until it was empty.

"Oh, I had stopped by, but it was nothing." Sarutobi waved it dismissively. '_Well now, that is impressive. It was almost five hours ago, yet he was able to smell traces of my pipe smoke? I guess I need to be more careful._' He thought.

"**Wait, he wouldn't have stopped by for nothing.**" Kyaena tilted her head slightly in thought. "**Double check.**"

"Are you sure Old-Man? Was it something you wanted from me then?" Naruto asked as Ayame was finishing putting the last ingredients into the stew ramen.

"No, nothing at the moment." Sarutobi shook his head, taking a bite of his tea-soggy bread.

"Did it have anything to do with why Kakashi was so late for the genin orientation?" Iruka asked as he was slurping on his own, second bowl of ramen. Hanging around Naruto was rubbing off on him.

When Sarutobi paused a moment too long, Naruto sent him a hard glare.

"Old-Maaaaaannnnn..." Naruto hissed out in a warning tone. Sarutobi cleared his throat awkwardly, as Konohamaru and Iruka looked on in confusion.

"I was only-" Sarutobi started to say, but his guilty tone was all Naruto needed to hear.

"WHAT!? You let someone into my apartment without even asking me!?" Naruto fumed, completely ignoring his stew ramen that Ayame set out for him.

"Naruto, it isn't what you think!" Sarutobi waved off desperately. "He was your assigned sensei and-"

"**That's no excuse, even for him.**" Kyaena frowned, as Naruto stuck out an open hand.

"Key." Naruto said. Sarutobi swallowed slightly.

"W-what do you mean?" He asked slowly.

"Grandpa? What's going on?" Konohamaru asked in a scared voice.

"Naruto, don't-" Iruka started to intervene, with Ayame and Teuchi looking on with worry.

"KEY! NOW!" Naruto demanded, shaking his outstretched hand.

Sarutobi sighed with a downcast face as he reached into his secure pocket on his belt, and pulled out a key that he dropped into Naruto's hand. Without a word, Naruto pocketed it and began scarfing down his third bowl.

The silence was oppressive.

"Grandpa..." Konohamaru whined.

"Hey, don't worry about it Konohamaru!" Naruto turned a big smile to his young friend. "It's just a little matter between the old man and myself, concerning a certain agreement we made some time ago..." His eye twitched once.

"I'm sorry Naruto. I had no right to do such a thing." Sarutobi bowed his head in apology.

"Yep! Absolutely right!" Naruto grinned as he pushed away his third empty bowl. Sarutobi and Iruka sighed slightly in shame.

"All right Naruto," Teuchi interjected as he brought over the last bowl, "And here's the special!" He set down the slightly-larger-than-normal bowl in front of the blonde.

Ah, the special. Before Naruto, Teuchi would rarely have anything on the menu that he would call 'the special'. It would usually just mean a temporary new recipe that Teuchi was trying. But years of serving the living noodle inhaler had made him reassess the quality of a 'special' ramen. Now, the special was something few people outside of Naruto or an Akimichi could stomach. Not that it wasn't delicious, after all, all Ichiraku ramen was delicious. When it's said that few can stomach it, it refers to the fact that there is simply so much food crammed into a larger-than-average bowl. It was special, because it was the only recipe that Naruto actually had to chew.

"So, um, Naruto. What were you saying about having more work to do?" Iruka asked. Naruto paused, then finished crunching the shrimp in his mouth with a gulp.

"I've got some preparing to do for my genin exam tomorrow morning. The extra pressure made me re-think how I want to go through it." Naruto replied, then resumed his eating.

"What do you mean, extra pressure?" Iruka blinked in confusion. Naruto rolled his eyes as he was forced to stop eating again.

"I mean the extra pressure of trying to make sure my squad passes with a high enough rating to be one of the three teams picked to be accepted to active duty." Naruto spouted out quickly, then grabbed a big gulp of orange juice that Ayame had set for him.

"What are you talking about, Naruto?" Sarutobi asked with a frown. He had a bad feeling. Naruto gave a grunt, then held up a 'wait-one-moment' finger, then proceeded to finish his bowl first. It took him a full minute.

"I mean, that because there are only going to be three squads accepted into duty this time around-" Naruto started to say, but Sarutobi held up a halting hand.

"Wait, wait. Who told you that? That's not how it works." Sarutobi said. Everyone was listening intently, even though Teuchi and Ayame were still working as they did so.

"What do you mean, grandpa?" Konohamaru tilted his head curiously.

"Yes, do tell." Naruto chimed in, with hard eyes.

"There's no restriction on the squads. If a squad passes, they'll become active ninja. All nine squads could pass... or fail." Sarutobi explained. "Why would we turn down a squad that passed? It would be foolish for us to cut our own ranks in that way."

"Is that so." Naruto's jaw clenched as his lips drew into a thin line and he seemed to stare off into space.

"**So that cyclopean sloth was lying. What a surprise.**" Kyaena growled as her claws flexed with her desire to rend and tear flesh.

"Naruto, who told you that only three squads would be put into active duty?" Sarutobi pressed. '_If it's who I think, I'm going to have to have a few words with him._' He thought in irritation. But Naruto grinned as he waved it off.

"Nah, it was just something I heard. I'm glad it was wrong." Naruto pulled out some money and set it on the counter for his meal. "Well, I've got to go. Thanks for the meal, sister, pops." Naruto gave a salute to his ninja superiors. "And I guess I'll see you later Iruka-sensei... One way or the other."

"What do you mean?" Iruka asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, if I fail the genin exam, I'll be by to register for the next academy year. If I pass, it means I'll be an active ninja, and as such, I'll finally be allowed into the archives. Either way, it means I'll have a lot more studying to do." Naruto shrugged, then turned and ruffled Konohamaru's hair a bit. "I'll see you around too... Kono-chan!" Naruto and Kyaena laughed as he sped off, leaving a severely red-faced boy behind.

"HEY! I'M NOT-... Grrrr! I'll get you for that, Naruto!" Konohamaru yelled after the dust trail that Naruto had left. Those present chuckled at the antics of the younglings, but Sarutobi and Iruka exchanged glances.

"All the other squads have already finished their exams. Squad seven is the only one left. Do you think Kakashi is trying to put extra pressure on Naruto, by telling him that lie?" Iruka whispered as he pretended to resume his now slightly cooled ramen.

"Even if he was, it's not a issue now that Naruto knows the truth. But I'll most likely have to speak to Kakashi after the test... depending on how things go." Sarutobi muttered back, but then smiled. "But I'm not that worried. I think Kakashi will find out the hard way that Naruto is far more determined, or should I say stubborn, than he gives him credit. Pass or fail, I'm sure this will be one test that Kakashi will never forget." The elder snickered, with Iruka joining in agreement. "Hmm. Naruto was so focused on this matter, he forgot I had owed him this meal." Sarutobi shook his head when he saw Teuchi pick up Naruto's payment.

Konohamaru continued to rant how he'd get his payback against his eternal rival.

* * *

Naruto trudged into the area of training field seven. After leaving Ichiraku's, Naruto had gone back to his apartment to retrieve his gear. Now, as he walked into the grassy area with the glowing sunset washing over everything, Naruto was not only wearing the same equipment and backpack he had when he had been at the academy earlier, he was also carrying two large, very heavy duffle bags, one in each hand.

Naruto walked up to a trio of large, thick posts that were stuck into the ground, and took a moment to set his backpack down next to one. Then he slowly turned and walked over to an out-of-place object in the field. It was a very special stone memorial. Polished black with a odd, somewhat triangular, stone standing up out of the large circular stone base. All over the stone, and around the base, were inscribed many, many names.

Naruto stood, staring at the stone for a few moments, his throat tightening slightly.

"**No... Don't let yourself dwell on that now. You have work to do.**" Kyaena spoke softly, trying not to upset Naruto, but wanting him to stay focused on his task ahead.

'_I know... I... I just... Someday. Someday I'll figure out which ones they are. I owe them that much._' Naruto sniffed slightly, but his eyes remained dry despite it being one of the few times he wished he could cry.

"**I'm sure they know you're trying.**" Kyaena purred reassuringly.

Naruto picked up the two duffle bags, letting them hang on his forearms as he made a handsign.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto announced, and about a hundred duplicates of himself came into being, all of them also holding duffle bags. The original Naruto looked over his group of selves. "Ok, we don't know how things are going to go, so make sure every place in this area is covered!" He directed. The other Narutos nodded and quickly spread out, heading in every direction, with a few lingering as they picked out places, kneeling down and starting to unzip the duffle bags.

"**You know, Naru-kun, regardless of the outcome, this ought to be very fun to watch.**" Kyaena snickered.

'_I don't know. I just hope it works._' Naruto sighed, as he walked over to a tree, and knelt down to unzip his own bags.

The mass of Naruto's continued to work long after the sun had set.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER

* * *

Authors Notes:

First of all, as you undoubtedly noticed, I kind of tacked half of what would have been the next episode (following anime) onto this chapter. Since the meeting with Kakashi takes place in the same day, I wanted to get it all done, especially due to what I planned at the end. So this chapter turned out quite a bit longer, but I'm happy with the smoothness of the scene progression.

Some of the obvious changes I made were more difficult than I expected. I had to re-write several sections over two or three times before I decided they were acceptable. I don't know if they seem to out-of-place, but there were one or two things I just couldn't keep from canon. Like the Naruto-Sasuke kiss. No way, not going to happen in my story.

I realize that it doesn't seem right to have Sakura and Sasuke keep changing their minds in this chapter, but hey, remember, they may be trying to become ninja, but they're still only twelve.

I guess there's not really much else I feel the need to comment on about this chapter, though I hope you readers will have comments. Preferably positive ones, but I'll take what I can get.

To the next batch of reviews:

**YamiKyuubi**: Well, I didn't _break _the Uchiha's jaw, but hopefully it's enough to hold you for now.

**Vasuki**: The 'uber-haters', as you put it, were primarily in the prologue, with events making them quiet down over time. And yes, I'm quite proud of my prologue.

**Loatroll**: I agree about Kakashi. Which is why, ultimately, he'll get his comeuppance. But his presence is required... for now.

**Korisen**: Naruto hiding his abilities is just something he's gotten used to over time to keep himself safe, though he'll try to work out of that habit in the future. I think he's off to a good start, pranking Kakashi the way he did. The next two chapters should be interesting to you.

A special note:

I've already received a few opinions about the 'jounin kunoichi' in chapter SOTS-1-01-03. At the moment, I have two votes for it being Rin, and one vote for being Anko. If you think you can guess who it is, feel free to consider this a poll, even though I'm not going to change who it is, despite people's opinions. It will be some time before I reveal the person's identity in a clear and definit manner. 1000 Kudos points to the winners who guess correctly! But the points don't matter. That's right, just like the color of Orochimaru's underwear, the points don't matter.

Kunoichi Identity poll: Please see my profile for the poll

* * *

Thank you for your attention and time!

* * *

This chapter edited:

5-17-2013


	6. SOTS,1,01,05

(AN: For disclaimer, see my profile, and also, help me with my goal to have it possible for submissions to display colored text!)

* * *

**SOTS-1-01-05**

**Soul of the Seal - Story 1 - Arc 1 - Chapter 5**

**Chapter 5 - "Grabbing Kakashi's Bells"**

* * *

Over the field of training area seven, the morning dawn was beginning to illuminate the landscape, but the sun hadn't risen above the horizon yet. It was early. Slightly early. No, make that real early. Quite early. Very, very early. Certainly earlier than Sarkura was used to getting up as she... well, I guess you can call it walking... As Sakura walked into the field, still rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She was carrying a single pink duffle bag looped over her shoulder that had her limited supply of equipment.

Sasuke was approaching from a different direction, but being as punctual as Sakura, was arriving at the same. Thought, strangely, he seemed normal... I mean awake normal... I mean he didn't seem bothered by the early start. Over his shoulder was a purplish blue, heavy kind of cross of a tote bag and duffle bag.

"Oh, Hhhhhhhiii... S-Sasuke-kunnnn..." Sakura yawned at length as they approached each other. Still blinking, she looked around. "That Naruto-baka. He's going to get in trouble if he's late." She sighed, too tired to get angry. Sasuke looked around once.

"He's over there." Sasuke pointed.

Sakura turned and squinted in the direction indicated. Slumped down against the middle one of three large posts, sat Naruto... Or at least, a mass of orange with a topping of blonde. But between her grogginess and the still dim light, Sakura couldn't see him all that clearly. He seemed to simply be asleep, his backpack tucked next to him. But on the other side of him was what appeared to be two empty duffle bags, and a small stack of four empty instant ramen containers. From the look of things, they hadn't been empty very long. Naruto must have only eaten and dozed off just a little before the other two had arrived.

"What the...? Naruto ate? But Kakashi-sensei told us not to! That idiot is going to get us in trouble!" Sakura started to stomp towards the napping ninja, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned around wide-eyed to look at Sasuke.

"Hey, don't wake him. We have a chance to have some quiet without his loud mouth for a change." He said, half suggestion, half order as he turned away to simply stand, waiting for their sensei.

Had he watched Sakura a moment longer, he'd have seen that she was DEFINITELY awake now.

'_Sasuke-kun touched me! He... touched... He... He... Hehehehehehe!_' Sakura was grinning like a maniac, starts shining in her eyes as she had forgotten all about Naruto, as she was now stuck on staring at the disinterested Uchiha.

They waited in the grassy area for their sensei. Time ticked by, but no one noticed. Naruto was asleep, Sakura just kept daydreaming about... certain things, and Sasuke was just glad the other two were quiet for a change.

After the sun had risen over the mountains, however, Sasuke and Sakura finally noticed that it was a fair time past five, and their sensei was a no-show. Sasuke was getting irritated that their sensei had told them to be at the training grounds at five, yet didn't show up on time himself. Considering the wait they had the day before, Sasuke frowned at the thought of this being a regular occurrence.

Sakura had sat down to spare her legs the ache. She could see that Sasuke was getting annoyed, and truthfully, so was she. She would cast the occasional glance over at Naruto, who had been motionless the whole time. It was a little eerie for her to see Naruto like that, being so used to see him always running around doing something or other. If not for the steady rise and fall of his shoulders to indicate his breathing, Sakura would have thought he'd have to be dead to be so inactive. That thought put ice down Sakura's spine for some reason she couldn't explain.

As the sun slowly rose higher and higher, it began to seem that their sensei would never show up. And just as Sasuke and Sakura were considering heading to the academy to find out what was going on...

"Yo! Good morning!" Kakashi waved as he seemed to appear out of nowhere with a backpack strapped on his back. Sakura was about to scream out her anger at the top of her lungs, but Sasuke's hand over her mouth shut her up instantly.

"Kakashi-sensei, why are you so late?" Sasuke asked calmly, despite a slight twitch of his eye.

"What? Oh, sorry, but you see, a family of black cats were camped out on my doorstep. So I had to circle around the village seven times to counter the bad luck. You understand, right?" Kakashi shrugged with a bizarre kind of... eye-smile? Since his mask covered most of his face, it seemed to be the primary way for him to express emotion.

"That is so ridiculous..." Sakura muttered as she fidgeted with anger.

Kakashi looked back and forth between the two, then looked over to the side to see Naruto asleep by the posts.

"Hmm. I suppose it would be difficult to conduct this exercise if you're a man short. Sakura, please go wake up Naruto." Kakashi directed.

Grumbling to herself, Sakura made her way over to her lazy teammate. She had planned to just yell in his ear, or pound him on the head, but when she got within a few feet, close enough to really get a good look at his face, she stopped with a tiny gasp.

Now, Sakura knew that sleep was one of those strange mysteries in life. No one could really understand how or why it happened, beyond some technical medical reasoning, or physiological purposes. But one of the things that couldn't be explained, was how sometimes a person could seem one way when they were awake, yet seem so completely different when they were asleep. Usually, this was attributed to the peacefulness of a person at rest.

But Sakura could see that Naruto's rest was anything but peaceful. His face was tense, his brow would twitch every so often, he was even frowning slightly. But the thing that had stopped Sakura so abruptly was the streams of continuous tears leaking out from under his closed eyes. It was very unnerving for her. She didn't think Naruto was the type to cry. She certainly couldn't remember any time that she had seen him do so before.

'_Whatever he's dreaming about... It must be absolutely horrible..._' Sakura thought nervously as she noticed he seemed a bit scuffed up, as his cloths had a very fine dusting of dry dirt on it. She knelt down next to him, beginning to reach out with one hand, intending to gently shake him awake. "Naru-"

_**CH-SHLING**_

Sakura froze as her face went deathly white. It was what most people would do when they suddenly had a pair of kunai crossed against their throat.

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise and Kakashi went rigid, his eye focused on the event in front of him.

'_Damn. Naruto takes the whole, 'I'm not a morning person', to a whole different level._' Sasuke thought with a mental note to himself to never have to be the one to wake the blonde.

Naruto blinked a few times in his process of regaining consciousness as he realized there was a person in front of him.

"Huh? Sakura-saaaaaHHHHhhhhnnn..." He yawned as he lowered his weapons, one arm coming up to wipe off his face out of habit. The instant that the metal was away from her, Sakura jumped back.

"NARUTO, YOU JERK! What the hell is wrong with you!?" Sakura screeched as one hand came up to check her neck, but felt nothing, no damage. "You could have killed me!"

"**Awww. Now that would've been a real shame.**" Kyaena clicked her tongue in mock disappointment.

'_Huh? Kya-chan? You're awake already?_' Naruto asked as he slowly got to his feet, small pulses of chakra running though his system to wake himself up faster. A little trick he had learned over time.

"**Just for a while. Don't worry, you haven't missed anything. I think the cyclops just now arrived.**" She reported, but still sent an unseen glare at Sakura. '_**Filthy Pink... That'll teach her to interrupt Naru-kun's sleep. Although, maybe I shouldn't have held back Naru-kun's reflexes, and just let that teme learn to live without her voice...**_' She let out a low hiss. '_**I just wish it had been the Uchiha-teme instead. He would have suffered the full consequence of Naru-kun's terrible life...**_' She pictured the brooding boy lying on his back, dead pale with his throat cut wide open...

'_Oh, then I guess it's showtime._' Naruto put his kunai away and gave himself a double slap to the face to clear his head. As he pulled on his backpack, he noticed Sakura still staring at him with wide eyes. "Huh? Something wrong Sakura-san?"

"Yes there's something wrong! You nearly slashed my throat!" Sakura screamed, but didn't get any closer to him. Naruto paused with a confused look on his face.

"Why were you so close to me?" He asked.

"I was just trying to shake you awake because Kakashi-sensei is here!" Sakura pointed behind herself to the two other people in the field.

"Well, why didn't you just yell for me to hear? Or throw a pebble or something to wake me?" Naruto asked as he walked over to stand with his teammates.

"**Hey, don't give her any ideas!**" Kyaena shot in quickly.

"Because I was trying to be considerate and didn't want to startle you!" Sakura fumed, crossing her arms in a huff.

"Ok, jeez, sorry. But you should know better than to try to touch a sleeping ninja." Naruto sighed in exasperation.

"**What!? Don't apologize to her!**" Kyaena snapped with a growl.

"Ok, that's enough." Kakashi cut in with a hint of anger in his voice. He had been more than a little surprised when he had seen Naruto move when Sakura went to wake him. '_That was a reaction only a veteran shinobi should have been capable of. What the hell has Naruto been through to have him develop reflexes like that?_' He thought sourly at the prospect of Naruto's experience. "Naruto, you need to be more careful in the future." Kakashi kept his voice neutral, earning a slight frown from the boy. "But anyway, it's time we get started." Kakashi walked over to a tree stump, sliding off his backpack. Reaching into it, he pulled out... and alarm clock? He set it on the tree stump and pressed down the switch on it's top. "This alarm is set to go off at noon."

Naruto gave a glance at the clock to see it said that it was already 11:07. He double checked it against his own clock that was sewn into the inside of the thick collar of his jacket, and seeing it was accurate, gave a small grumph.

'_First he shows up six hours later than he told us to be here, now, whatever he has planned, he expects us to do it in less that an hour?_' He groaned.

"**Well, it's going to be the longest hour of his life!**" Kyaena grinned, showing off her teeth and fangs.

Kakashi reached into his backpack again, then stood up and stepped back a bit. He held up two small bells on short strings for the others to see.

"Your assignment is very simple. You just have to steal these bells from me before the alarm goes off at noon. That's all there is to it." He explained as he let the bells jingle once. "If you're not able to get a bell before noon, you don't get any lunch. You'll be tied to those posts over there and forced to watch as I eat my lunch in front of you." Kakashi said with a touch of amusement as he heard grumbling stomachs.

'_So that was the point of having us not eat breakfast. He was trying to make things harder for us._' Sasuke swallowed slightly as his stomach protested.

"Hey, wait a minute! That's not fair!" Sakura complained as her stomach complained as well. "Naruto had something to eat while we didn't! We didn't have the chance-" Sakura had pointed over to where Naruto's duffle bags and empty ramen cups were piled, and when Kakashi saw them, he turned on Naruto.

"Naruto! I distinctly remember ordering you not to eat breakfast at our meeting yesterday!" Kakashi scolded with increasing annoyance at how Naruto had been interfering with every step of his plans so far.

"Wrong." Naruto shook his head. "You distinctly _suggested _we not eat breakfast. I just decided not to follow that suggestion." He shrugged with a small smirk.

"Alright then, in that case, you don't get lunch at all, regardless of whether you pass or fail." Kakashi declared smugly.

"WHAT!?" Naruto screeched. "You can't do that!" Kyaena hissed in disapproval.

"Consider it the consequential punishment for ignoring your sensei's advise, where, if we were on a mission, that could get you killed." Kakashi said, holding up the bells again. "But you might be able to redeem your little mistake if you can get a bell from me. After all, all you need is one... apiece." He taunted. Sakura blinked as she noticed the flaw.

"Hey, how come there are only two bells when there are three of us?" She asked. When Naruto and Kyaena noticed it as well, they both let out harsh growls, both internally.

"Oh, that way, one of you is guaranteed to wind up tied to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing to complete the mission. That one will go back to the academy in disgrace." Kakashi replied in a casual manner, as if it were nothing.

Naruto was beginning to seethe on the inside already.

'_But if one of us fails, we all fail! This is a __**team **__test! The way he just set things up, we can't pass no matter what happens!_' His teeth were clenched together, not quite grinding as he sent an intent glare at his 'teacher'.

"**Only two bells for three people? As if he had **_**already **_**decided to fail the squad? As if he were **_**planning **_**on blaming the failure on a specific person, a person that he would **_**deliberately **_**ensure didn't get a bell!?**" Kyaena growled in disgust at the perceived animosity in Kakashi.

Kakashi felt the low, but growing, killer intent coming from Naruto, though since it was directed at him, Sasuke and Sakura didn't seem to notice yet.

'_I wonder what he's getting angry about now?_' Kakashi wondered as he continued his instruction. "It might just be one of you who fails, or, then again, all three of you might flunk out. You can use any skill or weapons you have, including shruiken." He stared at the three kids. "You have to come at me with the intention of killing me, or else you'll never be able to get the bells."

When Naruto heard that, his eyes narrowed, and he reached behind to one of the side pouches on his backpack, pulling out a small blank scroll. The core of it, around which the paper was wrapped, had a built-in chamber that was opened from one end. Inside was a small penbrush with ink so it could be used at any time.

"But Kakashi-sensei, those weapons are too dangerous!" Sakura gasped in shock at such a risky situation.

"Especially for someone who has already suffered the wrath of an angry chalkboard eraser." Naruto snickered in a lightly amused tone as he was writing something on his scroll. Kakashi gave Naruto a slight glare.

"Class clowns are usually the weakest links. They complain more because they aren't skilled enough. Lowest scores. You can safely ignore them. Losers." Kakashi rambled in a 'know-it-all' tone, expecting it to make Naruto blow his top. "When I say start, we can begin." Kakashi waited a moment, but when Naruto didn't respond and continued writing, Kakashi nearly hissed. '_Almost nothing is going according to plan!_' He thought in frustration. "Naruto! Put that scroll away and pay attention!" He snapped.

"Just a second." Naruto replied, not even looking up as Kyaena gave him a few instructions.

"Knock it off Naruto! Haven't you done enough? You have to take this seriously!" Sakura scolded, but was confused by what was happening.

"Oh don't worry. I am taking this seriously. This is for your benefit as well, you know." Naruto said as he paused, looking over what he had written.

"What? My benefit?" Sakura asked, now completely confused. Naruto added a little more to the scroll before smiling.

"Ok! That should do!" He held up the scroll and held out the penbrush. "Now if the three of you could just sign this as well, we can get started!"

"What are you talking about, dobe? What is that?" Sasuke frowned. Naruto cleared his throat once, and read.

Liability Release  
This document is to verify, that during the genin exam for squad seven, jounin sensei Kakashi Hatake did order the use of deadly intent and force to be used in the exam exercise.  
By specifically ordering the use of such force, jounin sensei Kakashi Hatake releases genin candidates Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki from liability concerning any resulting hazard or injuries sustained by any party during the genin exam.  
By specifically ordering the use of such force, jounin sensei Kakashi Hatake takes responsibility for the conduct, actions and safety of genin candidates Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki during the genin exam.  
Should hazard or injuries be sustained by any party during the genin exam, genin candidates Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki can not and will not be reprimanded or prosecuted in any way or form, and jounin sensei Kakashi Hatake will take responsibility of results and consequences of such injuries.  
This document has been read and accepted by the undersigned.  
Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto looked up expectantly at his wide-eyed companions.

"So, if you'll just sign-" Naruto started to say, but Sasuke blew up.

"What the hell are you doing!? Has that Hitai-ate cut off the blood flow to your lemon of a brain!? Why would I want to sign something like that!?" Sasuke fumed.

"**I think he's just jealous that he didn't think of it first.**" Kyaena sneered a fang in disgust.

Kakashi was glaring at Naruto incredulously.

'_What is the deal with him!? How could he have thought of these things!? He's virtually nothing like what I've heard about him!_' Kakashi took several slow breaths to calm himself. "Naruto, your enemies aren't going to give you letters of liability before a battle."

"Are you saying we're enemies?" Naruto gave a small smirk, but with narrow eyes.

"No..." Kakashi's eye twitched, but it was the eye that was covered with his Hitai-ate, so fortunately, the others didn't see it.

"Naruto, what's going on?" Sakura asked, definitely not enjoying the position of knowing so little, when she was used to knowing more than the others around her.

"I just want a little insurance is all. I've had... difficulties, in the past, and didn't think it would be wise to do something like this without a back-up plan." Naruto shrugged. Sakura still looked confused, but signed the scroll. After all, it was a good idea, and she liked to play it safe.

"Grrr, fine, let's just get on with things already!" Sasuke huffed as he signed immediately after Sakura. Naruto took the scroll and turned to Kakashi.

"And finally, you." Naruto held up the scroll, but Kakashi didn't move.

"I'm not going to sign that, Naruto. There are no safety guarantees in real life." Kakashi stared down at the blonde, who suddenly turned on an oh-so-innocence look.

"Safety? Who said anything about safety? You're the one wanting us to intend on trying to kill you. This is just so we won't get in trouble in the unlikely possibility that we do." Naruto chuckled.

"Maybe I haven't been clear. I am **not **going to sign that." Kakashi said with growing impatience.

"**He's done nothing but lie! Don't let him out of it! It's for your protection!**" Kyaena ordered.

"Maybe **I** haven't been clear." Naruto suddenly growled back with a frown. "If you don't sign it, I walk away right now, and YOU can explain your actions regarding this... _exam_, to Old-Man-Hokage!" He snapped, actually causing Kakashi to take a step back in shock.

Sakura and Sasuke looked back and forth in disbelief at what was happening, and how Naruto seemed to have caught Kakashi on some point they were unaware of.

'_Damn it. If he tells them what I've been saying..._' Kakashi sighed. "Fine, I'll sign it." He stepped forward to take the scroll and penbrush, but paused. "Um, it's not going to squirt ink on me, is it?" He asked cautiously.

"No, though I probably should have thought of that." Naruto shook his head in disappointment that he had overlooked a simple prank opportunity as Kakashi signed the scroll.

"Naruto, what in the world is going on!?" Sakura demanded, beginning to loose her temper yet again.

"Ah, don't worry about it Sakura-san! We've resolved this point... though we'll have to wait and see if any more points arise." Naruto finished, grinning at Kakashi as he took the scroll, wrapped it up, and set it next to the alarm clock before returning to stand with his teammates.

"Well," Kakashi cleared his throat, "I must admit, this is turning out to be more involving than I though it would be. And we haven't even started yet. I guess... that I'm starting to like this group." Kakashi gave an eye-smile.

Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto exchanged slightly confused glances, with Naruto giving a shrug.

"Guess different people have different tastes." He mused.

"**Different tastes? I doubt that this lying cyclops would taste any good at all.**" Kyaena stuck out her tongue. "**Make sure that scroll doesn't get lost or damaged.**"

'_Oh, don't worry about that. I've got it all under control._' Naruto mentally smirked in confirmation.

"Alright then," Kakashi announced in a serious tone, making the three cadet graduates tense up. "Get ready... and... START!"

* * *

In an empty meeting hall at the academy, Sarutobi and Iruka sat at a lone table, drinking tea together.

"So, Iruka. I have a feeling that we're not just here to drink tea and chat about the academy curriculum." Sarutobi said casually as he dropped a sugar cube into his tea and began stirring. "You're concerned about Naruto, aren't you?"

"Squad seven is having their exam this morning." Iruka nodded, putting a drop of lemon and honey into his tea. "The jounin assigned to that group. How tough a trainer is he?"

"You mean Kakashi. You're worried about him for some reason?" Sarutobi asked, taking a sip.

"Yes. I've heard a fair amount about him as many have, but it's mostly second hand gossip when it comes to the infamous 'Copy Ninja'." Iruka took a whiff of his tea. "But I did hear an unpleasant rumor about his training methods. I was hoping you could tell me directly, what kind of ninja he really is. That is, how tough a trainer he is." He took a drink.

"Indeed. I had a feeling you'd want to know about that." Sarutobi put down his cup for a moment, then pulled a thin blue record book from within his robes. "I think you'll find this enlightening." He slid the book across the table.

"What's this?" Iruka asked, setting his own cup aside to pick up the book.

"It's the pass-fail record of all the teams Kakashi has ever been assigned to and tested." Sarutobi said with a rather ominously solemn tone.

"Really? Let's see here..." Iruka opened the book and flipped the pages until he came to Kakashi's file. After a moment of reading, his eyes widened. "Th-this... This is even worse than the rumor suggested!"

"Kakashi's tests may be a _bit _more difficult than others..." Sarutobi said slowly, as if announcing that the Hokage mountain was a cleverly built sand castle.

"A _bit _more difficult!?" Iruka gawked. "This says that no squad, no student, has ever passed his tests!"

"Yes, that is the truth. They tried, but none of them could manage to live up to Kakashi's standards." Sarutobi frowned as he took a lingering sip of tea. "I must admit, this very fact has me concerned. Even though Kakashi was correct about all the students he failed in the past... this is the first time he ever volunteered to take on a team."

"Volunteered?" Iruka raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yes. All the other times, he was assigned the duty, and he went along with it. But this time, he came forward and requested to be one of the jounin for the academy graduates before they had even graduated." Sarutobi shook his head in worry, the words of a certain kunoichi replaying in his mind. "I'm not sure why Kakashi thinks this time would be different. Or..." He stopped abruptly and shuddered at the terrible though. '_No, Kakashi wouldn't do that. He knows I'd have his hide stretched out on display if he did._'

"Or what?" Iruka leaned forward intently, but Sarutobi waved him off.

"No, it's nothing. But keep in mind, this group of candidates, all of them, are still young. It's not certain that they'll be able to handle the rigors and dangers that come with the life of a ninja." Sarutobi sighed.

"It's not really that. Forgive me Hokage-sama, but what I really wanted to ask you is... How does Kakashi feel about Naruto... personally." Iruka asked even as he swallowed a nervous lump. The meaning in his question was obvious. Does Kakashi hate Naruto because of the Kyuubi?

Sarutobi remained silent as he finished his cup of tea. He looked Iruka straight in the eye.

"Honestly... I don't know. But even if he has a grudge, Naruto is not in danger. I always make sure of that." Sarutobi stated with confidence, recalling how he had given Tetsuko special instructions. She was not to interfere with the exam, but if there was any evidence that Kakashi was trying to create and 'accident' during it's proceedings, she was to step in.

"Oh." Iruka blinked in slight surprise at the statement. He thought for a moment. "If the squad, and Naruto, fails, would you have any objection if I took Naruto back into my class in the next academy year?" He asked hopefully, earning a slight chuckle from his tea drinking companion.

"Not at all. In fact, I doubt any other teacher would be able to handle Naruto... what with his pranks and all." Sarutobi poured himself another cup of tea. "But don't get your hopes up. Naruto is surprising in many ways, and we have seen just how skilled he really is. Even with Kakashi's harsh expectations, I'd be willing to bet my hat that Naruto will find a way to pass the exam." The Hokage said as he offered to refill Iruka's cup.

"I'm not supposed to favor one student over others... But I really want Naruto to succeed." Iruka sighed as he held out his cup.

"Yes. Me too." Sarutobi nodded, pouring the tea. "I suspect, if we wait, Naruto will be along after the exam is over."

Iruka nodded, adding the lemon and honey to his cup.

* * *

Naruto looked around franticly as Sasuke and Sakura had jumped away into hiding.

"WAK! What the hell!? What are you two doing!? Get back here!" Naruto screamed in shock.

"**I knew it! I knew those two wouldn't be any help!**" Kyaena snarled. "**Just forget them and take this depth-perception challenged asshole down!**"

'_But this is a __**team **__test! I thought they knew that! And what's worse, if they go running around, they'll set off-_' Naruto's face was grim with concern, as Kakashi regarded him.

"You know, compared to the others, you're a little... off." Kakashi sweat-dropped.

"Yeah right! The only thing off here is your hair style, Dandruff-Duster!" Naruto snapped as he set himself into a fighting stance, glaring at Kakashi.

"If you're wondering why the others ran off, well, it's the basis of all ninja skills. Stealth and concealment. You do know how to do that, right?" Kakashi asked, not even moving.

"Of course I do. But it doesn't apply to this situation." Naruto began oh-so-slowly side-stepping, keeping his eyes on Kakashi, who raised his one eyebrow.

In her spot under some heavy bushes, Sakura looked on in confusion.

'_What is Naruto doing now? He should have hidden like Sasuke-kun and myself. Why would he say that stealth doesn't apply? It always applies! ... ... Doesn't it?_' She wondered while remembering that Naruto had been right about the exam before, so what else was going on?

In his own spot in some heavy trees, Sasuke was glaring down at Naruto.

'_Naruto is such a complete moron! Still trying to show off, only this time, he's __**really **__going to be in trouble if he messes up my chances at passing this test!_' Sasuke struggled not to hiss or growl out loud, which would give away his position to Kakashi, who was still regarding Naruto.

"And just why wouldn't it apply to this situation?" Kakashi watched Naruto carefully.

"Stealth and concealment only apply if the opponent is unaware of your presence or approach. You know I'm here, and you know I'm coming after you." Naruto explained, continuing to inch his way in a circular path around Kakashi. "Furthermore, my objective is to retrieve an object you possess. Which means I have to approach you. You could just stand out in this open field all day waiting for me, so even if I were to hide, I'd just have to come out again to get to you. Worse yet, I'm on a time limit. You aren't. Any futile and pointless attempt to hide would only waste what time I have." Naruto frowned. "And on top of it all, it's our objective to obtain the bells, where as you're objective is not to keep the bells, but rather, to keep us from getting the bells. You could throw them away, or worse, destroy them, thereby making it impossible to pass this exam." Naruto scowled at Kakashi. "Now that wouldn't be right, _would it_? Deliberately rigging the test so we _couldn't _pass, no matter what we do?" His voice was that of an accusational tone.

In the bushes, Sakura and Sasuke were gaping, drop-jawed at Naruto's explanation. One that made total, absolute, perfectly clear sense! Kakashi on the other hand, felt like he was going to pass a gall stone the size of the moon.

'_I can't recall the last time I had a candidate who was so... so..._' Kakashi's fists clenched, then relaxed. "Well, Naruto. If it seems that the lesson of stealth is un-usable here," Kakashi reached into his ninkit, "Then perhaps we should move on to the other shinobi basics. To start, taijutsu, the physical art."

"Fine by me, though excuse me if my form is a little... rough." Naruto grinned. "Of course, it would be nice if I had A LITTLE HELP HERE!" He screamed in the direction of the bushes, making Sakura flinch, and Sasuke just frowned.

"Whenever... you're... READY!" Kakashi shouted as he whipped out... a book?

Naruto tilted his head as he looked on, with Kyaena letting out a sweat-drop.

"That looks familiar. Say, did you get that from Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked as he stopped his movement.

"Hmm? Iruka has this edition also? Well imagine that." Kakashi said in a bored tone.

"**Ok, now this worm is just insulting you.**" Kyaena growled as her fur rippled slightly.

"Well, if it's valuable or anything, I really suggest you put it away. Why are you even trying to read that now anyway?" Naruto's hands slowly started reaching towards his weapon holsters.

"Well, because I want to know what happens in the story, of course." Kakashi replied, turning a page. Sakura was actually about to come out of hiding to help Naruto, given what he had said a moment ago, but she never got the chance.

"Fine. You can't say I didn't warn you." Naruto smirked as one foot tipped back to tap his toe on a small rock-

_**KaboomKaboomKaboomKaboom**_

Sakura and Sasuke had to look away from the blasts that erupted around Kakashi. They weren't all that powerful in force, but they were loud, and bright. Stun grenades.

Kakashi had to close his eye to avoid being blinded, and his shoulders came up to partially cover his ears, but the little amount of dirt kicked up by the bursts was no danger, so he didn't bother moving beyond shielding his book from the dirt. But in the instant of the flash, when he heard rapid fluttering of paper in the wind, he leapt backwards as hard as his legs could propel him, a moment before the spot he had been at erupted in a genuine explosion, courtesy of the kunai with three explosive tags tied to it that Naruto had thrown.

Kakashi blinked his eye to clear it as he was sliding to a stop, only to jump again when a click preceded two dozen or so long wooden spikes jutting up out of the ground, unsuccessfully attempting to skewer the jounin as Naruto dashed forward, throwing eight shuriken at the airborne man.

"NARUTO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Sakura screamed in panic. She couldn't believe Naruto was attacking so aggressively. Inner Sakura slammed a fist into her palm. '_Come on, what am I waiting for!? Naruto got Kakashi-sensei to sign that scroll, so we can't get in trouble! I should get out there and kick some ass too!_' She watched their sensei twist in midair to dodge the shuriken that continued past him.

But then Naruto yanked his hands downward, and the shuriken did a instant 180 to come back at Kakashi, thanks to the guiding lines connected to them. They whipped around and around him, binding him in the fine ninja wire as he was falling, to hit the ground with a large burst of smoke that cleared to show the wires tied around a log.

As Naruto's eyes darted around the field looking for his slippery target, Sasuke was staring on from his tree perch with a dropped jaw.

'_What the hell is going on!? Yesterday, Naruto somehow gets the drop on me with some jutsu I've never seen, fools Sakura pretending to be me, though that's not saying much, and pranks our sensei in a way that could have disabled him had Naruto wanted to. Now he's going at Kakashi-sensei like... like he really __**is **__trying to kill him!_' Sasuke thought in disbelief.

Naruto was still standing in place, looking and listening for any sign of Kakashi when he sensed a chakra source appear behind him.

"A ninja should never expose his back to the enemy." Kakashi smirked with his hands together, index fingers pointed.

Sakura's eyes widened.

'_Wait a minute, is that a handsign? Is that the tiger sign!?_' Sakura thought in panic. '_That's much too advanced a ninjutsu! He could kill Naruto with that! He said __**we **__were to come at __**him **__with intention to kill, but this is..._' Her heart was pounding in fear at what Kakashi might do to her, if he was willing to do that to Naruto.

'_That's the sign for most fire jutsu._' Sasuke thought with a smirk. '_So the dobe is finally going to get a taste of reality. This should be amusing._'

"Naruto! Get out of there, quick! He's going to destroy you!" Sakura screamed out, drawing Naruto and Sasuke's attention.

'_Stupid__ fan-girl! Why'd she have to warn him!?_' Sasuke scowled.

"Too late." Kakashi grinned to himself. '_Time for payback for that eraser prank, Naruto._' He shifted his book out of the way in his hands. "Leaf-Style, Ultimate Taiju-EH!?" He stopped when Naruto leapt straight up in the air a good thirty feet.

Naruto yanked on the wires he was still holding when he jumped, pulling the log that Kakashi had substituted earlier to come flying towards Kakahsi, who had to duck as it flew over his head. Kakashi heard a _Poof_, and looked up to see a very, very large boulder about to fall on top of him, forcing him to throw himself sideways as it impacted the ground with a massive WHUD, sending dirt splattering everywhere. As Kakashi slid to a stop, he blinked at the stone that had nearly crushed him.

'_This is getting ridiculous. I can't even read my book with Naruto acting this crazy! Although, I must admit, that was an interesting use of the Substitution Jutsu. But I have to slow Naruto dow-_' Kakashi gave a start when four short poles sprang up out of the ground around him... no, not really poles... pipes.

He realized they were pipes when black liquid began spraying out of the ends, raining down around him, forcing him to put his book away or get ruined. But his eye widened when he sniffed the scent of the liquid. The thick, sticky liquid. He leapt away as a click sounded, causing sparks to ignite the oil in a burst of flame and smoke where he had just been. Kakashi looked up to see Naruto racing at him, a double bladed kunai in each hand.

Sakura didn't realize a small blush was creeping onto her cheeks.

'_Whoa, this is amazing! Naruto is actually keeping Kakashi-sensei on his toes! But when did Naruto get the chance to set all these trap? We only woke him right before... Wait!_' Sakura blinked in realization. '_Naruto was already here when Sasuke-kun and I showed up, and it looked like he had only just fallen asleep. I don't believe it..._' She watched as Naruto attacked Kakashi with a frenzy of basic style, but very fast, taijutsu. '_Naruto came out her and stayed up all night, just so he could be ready for this exam. He... He is __**really **__serious about this._' Sakura's mouth set into a determined line... then she charged out of the bushes, throwing several shuriken at Kakashi's back.

Kakashi was severely surprised when Sakura attacked, but he refused to let it show to any degree. He did a massive back flip to get out of the line of fire and to try to get the two genin into his line of sight.

"S-Sakura-san?" Naruto blinked in surprise as his pink-haired teammate took a position next to him, with her kunai and shuriken at the ready. She gave him a slight smirk.

"Naruto, you idiot. Did you really think you could take on a jounin all by yourself? That's just like you, jumping in and getting yourself into trouble that's over your head." She remarked, then looked around along the tree line. "Hey, Sasuke-kun! Come on out, and we can take on Kakashi-sensei together!" She called, not quite sure where Sasuke was.

"**Ok, what the hell is Pinky up to?**" Kyaena growled. "**She can't possibly really intend to help you.**" Her ears twitched in suspicion.

'_Hey, this once, don't complain._' Naruto shot back, and turned to Sakura. "Hey, be careful where you step. I'll try to clue you to where the other traps are. Do you need extra weapons?"

"No, I'm good." Sakura shook her head, keeping an eye on Kakahsi. But a confused frown touched her lips. "HEY! SASUKE-KUN! CAN YOU HEAR ME!? WE NEED YOUR HELP! HURRY BACK HERE!" She yelled out again.

In the trees, Sasuke continued looking on without moving, waiting to see more of Kakashi's moves, waiting for his own opening.

"Something tells me he's not coming." Naruto grumbled, raising his kunai into an offensive position as he returned his focus to Kakashi, who had taken the momentary break in action to compose himself.

"You Jerk! Don't say that! Sasuke-kun wouldn't just ditch out on us!" Sakura snapped back.

Kakashi regarded the two as he thought about his plans.

'_Hmm. It seems they're staring to pull together. But not quite all the way._' He didn't bother turning to look at the spot that he already knew Sasuke was hiding in. '_But if they can get Sasuke to come out and join them, things could get difficult. I think it's time for the next part of the __**test**__, and to finally slow Naruto down a bit._' Kakashi thought with a bit of satisfaction as he suddenly dashed forward.

"Look out Sakura-san! Here he comes!" Naruto blurted, as he started forward, and Sakura threw a few more shuriken.

But Kakashi blinked out of sight as the shuriken missed, only to re-appear as he slid right up to under Naruto, sending a kick into Naruto's chest. Unfortunately, Kakashi hadn't counted on the rate at which Naruto had been attempting to accelerate forward, and the combined opposing momentum was greater than expected.

Sakura clearly heard the sickening _snap _as Kakashi felt Naruto's chest shift under his foot, and Naruto spit up several drops of blood even as he was violently thrown back in a high arc that landed him in the river next to the training field with a hefty splash.

"NARUTO!" Sakura screamed in shock and fear as she watched her teammate sink. She turned to look back at Kakashi, who was still half laying on the ground from where he had kicked Naruto.

Kakashi was staring down at the drops of blood that had hit his vest with no small amount of shock.

'_Oh... crap!_' He swallowed a lump of nervousness, then jumped to his feet. '_Test or not, I can't let Naruto continue with that injury!... And Hokage-sama is probably going to have my good eye for injuring a student so badly!_' He turned to a pale Sakura with intentions to have her help with Naruto. "Sakura! You-"

"AAAHHHH! PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!" Sakura screamed in terror, dropping her kunai and shuriken to the ground as she took several steps back.

'_... Ok, maybe she __**is **__as pathetic as I thought before._' Sasuke frowned as he watched.

In the river, Naruto was struggling with the pain of his one... no, two broken ribs, _while _trying to hold his breath _and _trying to swim to the surface with the heavy weight of all his gear seeking to pull him down to the bottom. He could feel his healing power trying to repair the damage, but he still made the effort to focus it all into his chest, causing his chakra to react a bit more intensely than normal.

"**That cyclopean freak... His intentions are clear! He'll use this so called **_**test **_**to try to kill you!**" Kyaena growled in fury as Naruto's ribs were forced back into proper alignment.

'_I... I don't know... The test... I have to..._' Naruto thought in a disjointed manner as he felt the cricks of his bones and muscle regenerating. '_He could have done that from the start. But I still have another test to try on him. I'll get him... I will!_' Still holding his breath as best he could, he had to stop his swimming for a brief moment to do something with his hands...

In the field, Kakashi was trying to calm down Sakura, but without much success.

"B-but sensei, how are we supposed to be able to match you? Even if all three of us came at you at once, we wouldn't stand a chance!" Sakura said, trembling with nervousness as her eyes widened. "Th-there's no way for us to pass! You made it impossible! We can't-"

"Sakura, calm down and listen!" Kakashi barked with aggravation, worried that Naruto might be drowning. "You have to go get-!" Kakashi stopped mid sentence as he whipped around to stare at the river when he felt something. An intense concentration of chakra, much stronger than anything he had been expecting today. It was almost _too _intense, and that was with the river water muffling it. '_What... was that?_' Kakashi thought with professional concern. '_Is there another ninja here?_'

The chakra had been intense enough that even Sakura, and to a lesser degree Sasuke, had felt it.

"Kakashi-sensei? What's going on? What was-" Sakura stopped when she followed Kakashi's gaze to the river, just in time to see Naruto pulling himself out of the water onto the bank... though, it appeared he did so with some difficulty. "Naruto! Are you ok?" She yelled in worry as she rushed over to him, but nearly fainted when he coughed up a mouthful of bloodied river water.

Naruto scooped up a handful of water to his mouth, swizsled, and spat out a little more blood with it. Sakura was pale with her guts twisting around at such a sight. Sasuke was looking at Kakashi, who seemed to be completely focused on Naruto.

'_This is my chance..._' He slowly pulled a few shuriken and kunai from his holsters, taking aim at Kakahsi's backside.

Kakashi was staring at something the others didn't seem to notice. Even from the instant Naruto had climbed out of the water, what water there was left on him was quickly evaporating into steam. In a matter of seconds, Naruto was already half dry.

"Naruto?" Kakashi asked in a cautious manner, causing said boy to look up with a glare at his 'sensei'.

"Bet you enjoyed that, didn't you?" Naruto hissed as he pushed himself up to his feet, causing Sakura to step forward and grab his arm to support him.

"Naruto, stop! You shouldn't try to move! There's no telling how badly you're hurt!" She was babbling, and also, quite unsure why she was so concerned for Naruto. '_Because he just had his chest kicked in! I am NOT so insensitive as to ignore THAT!_' Inner Sakura raged in insult. Naruto however, just shrugged her off.

"Nah, I'm fine. It'll take a lot more than just a couple of broken ribs to keep me down." He said as he kept his eyes on Kakashi. Sakura's jaw dropped, and Sasuke paused to blink in disbelief himself.

"What!? How could you be 'fine'!? I _heard _your bones _snap_!" Sakura yelled, still in a state of shock over what was going on, even as she watched Naruto twist and stretch his arms in a blatant show that he was, in fact, quite alright.

"Yeah, and now I'm fine. Don't worry about me, Sakura-san. I can bounce back from nearly anything. HEY DUCK-BUTT!" Naruto yelled in the general direction of the trees, "If you would GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE, one of us _might _be able to rip Kakashi-sensei's bells off!" Naruto shouted out, making Sakura turn red and Kakashi pale slightly.

"**Careful you don't trip over your tongue, Naru-kun.**" Kyaena snickered, privately wishing he had.

'_And I was worried about him?_' Kakashi thought with a small sweatdrop. '_But was that intense focus of chakra really from him? It was much too strong for any genin..._' Kakashi pondered with a serious back line of thought.

"WHAT did you just say!?" Sakura screeched in embarrassment at Naruto.

"The bells, remember?" Naruto pointed to Kakashi. "We need to rip them off his belt if we have any hope of pa-" Naruto stopped when he saw movement behind Kakashi.

Several kunai and shuriken came straight at Kakashi's back, but he did a single spin around, knocking them away like they were nothing. He turned to glare at the trees.

"Not now, Sasuke! There's a matter I have to deal wi-" Kakashi was stopped when a series of splashes made him whip back around in time to see several Narutos leaping out of the river and charging at him _quickly_. He leapt straight backwards, his feet hardly leaving the ground as he tried to keep a distance from the blitzing blondes.

Sakura ducked slightly in reflex when the Narutos had jumped clear over her. But when she felt several drops of water fall on her she did a double take, looking at the running boys, including the one that had left her side. She saw the water and footprints they were leaving as they chased after their instructor, and she once again found herself stunned.

'_Wait a minute, those aren't illusions, they're real! How in the world is Naruto doing this!?_' She gaped, unable to move, even as her empty stomach tried to remind her of it's lacking of sustenance.

Sasuke, who had been about to dash after his failed attack on Kakashi, glared harshly as he watched the assault in progress.

'_That's the same jutsu he used on me yesterday! It's not the Clone Jutsu, it's something far more powerful! What jutsu is that!?_' Sasuke gritted his teeth in frustration as he fought down his growling stomach.

Kakashi, thinking he had enough of a gap between him and them, considered his situation.

'_So, the rumors were true. He does know the Shadow Clone Jutsu. And they say he defeated the chunin Mizuki with it. Things just got a whole lot more complicated. Although, even though he has more chakra than the others, he shouldn't be able to maintain it for more than about a minute or so._' Kakashi thought as the determined student group kept charging. "I must say this is unexpected, but even so, you can't beat me with this jutsu!" Kakashi stated. "This is the kind of situation that you ca-"

_**WHAP-chingggg**_

Kakashi gave a nasty jerk as something grabbed him from behind. He craned his neck to look behind, seeing another Naruto latched onto him with arms and legs wrapped around his torso.

"Yo!" The Naruto grinned.

"What the-!? How did you-!?" Kakashi gawked in disbelief. '_When did he get a clone behind me!? I didn't even sense his chakra!_'

Sakura felt her cheeks warming up again when she saw the one Naruto grab Kakashi.

'_Whoa... When did Naruto get so __**good**__!?_' She wondered in growing amazement, and a small smile on her lips.

"I've got over a decade of sneaking experience, _Sensei_. Now, I'm going to do to you what you did to me!" The Naruto growled as he SQUEEZED.

"Ugh-Argh!" Kakashi grunted out in pain as his chest felt like it was being crushed... which it was. '_Wh-what is going on!? The real Naruto can't possibly be this strong, let alone a clone!_' He staggered as he futilely tried to pull the boy's arms off him. He could already feel his own ribs creaking as the air was crushed out of his lungs. '_I have to get him off me, before..._' Kakashi looked up, seeing the other Narutos almost upon him, all of them with fairly angry looks on their faces.

In the trees, Sasuke was livid.

'_No way! Naruto is about to get the bells! And knowing that loser, he'll keep one and give the other to Sakura!_' He growled. '_I will __**not **__let that dead-last force me out of this test!_' He reached for his holsters...

Kakashi looked on as seven Naruto's were bearing down on him, two of whom were obviously aiming at his hip to get the bells, but the others just looked like they wanted to stomp him into the ground until he was little more than fungus mold.

"Let's see how much punishment _you _can take, Sensei!" The lead Naruto exclaimed as he jumped into the air. "It'll be interesting to see what you'll do when your only usable eye is swollen shut!" He smirked as his fist was traveling straight at Kakashi's face-

_**ThwackThwakThwakThwak-POOF/POOF-WHAM-crack-POOF**_

Sakura gasped in surprise as she witnessed what happened. The two Narutos that had been lunging for the bells were each hit with a pair of shuriken, causing them to vanish in bursts of smoke. Their dispersal had distracted the lead Naruto for a split second, even as his fist had made contact, only for him to look back and see that he had just struck another of himselves, thoroughly destroying that Naruto's jaw, causing him to go up in smoke even as the Naruto that had been holding him fell backwards onto wobbly legs.

The five remaining Narutos just stood, frozen in momentary confusion, looking at each other. Sakura wasn't fairing much better as she tried to work out what had just happened, and how one Naruto had clobbered another Naruto. And as for Kyaena...

"**Oh no... That miserable little wretch did NOT just do what I think he did!**" She howled in outrage.

In the trees, Sasuke let out a slow breath of relief.

'_So, Kakashi-sensei used the Substitution Jutsu to swap with one of the Narutos at the last moment._' Sasuke noted as he watched four of the Narutos disappear, leaving, presumably, the real one left, standing in the field. '_I wonder if he was going to do that even if I hadn't taken out two of the losers._'

Naruto, who had re-gathered his wits, turned towards the tree line.

"UCHIHA! What the HELL was that about!?" Naruto seethed in such fury that his chakra and killer intent was surging to dangerous levels. Sakura and Sasuke could both feel it with unmistakable, wide-eyed clarity. "I guess you _don't _want to pass, do you, Duck-Butt!? You are more arrogant and foolish than I ever thought-...?" Naruto paused when something gleaming caught the corner of his eye.

Sasuke was gaping even as he felt Naruto's chakra diminish again as the blonde turned away for some reason.

'_Wh-...What the hell... I haven't felt a chakra that strong since... __**that **__night._' Sasuke's fists clenched around the branches he was leaning against as his eye twitched in a glare down at Naruto. '_I need to plan out my next attack..._' He turned and dashed deeper into the foliage.

Sakura, who hadn't moved from her spot right next to the river since Naruto had climbed out of it, was now in total confusion at what had just happened... And was also in slight awe from the energy she had just felt.

'_This is incredible! I remember Iruka-sensei once telling us about how it was possible to actually feel the presence of a person's chakra, but I didn't think anyone in our class was capable of exerting that kind of energy!_' Sakura wondered. '_But what happened with the clones and the shurik-... wait, what's Naruto doing now?_' She peered as Naruto was looking at something on the ground.

Naruto was looking down at, what seemed to be, one of the bells. It was next to the roots of one of the lone trees in the open field.

'_Do you think it's a trap? Or could Kakashi-sensei actually have dropped one during that little scuffle?_' Naruto wondered, staring at the small silver object.

"**It's unlikely that only one of the bells would have been knocked loose. They both should have fallen if they had been knocked off, and I don't see the other. On top of that, the bell is right next to the snare trap you set in that tree.**" Kyaena observed in thought. "**Just grab it quick so this whole thing will be over already!**"

'_...I'll give it to Sakura-san so she'll-_' Naruto began to say as he reached into one of his ninkits.

"**WHAT!? WHY!?**" Kyaena jumped to her feet with bared fangs. Naruto grimaced slightly as he withdrew a small object attached to a length of wire from his ninkit, unraveling it a bit.

'_Because once she has it, she'll be able to get out of the way, and then I can really go all out._' Naruto explained with a smirk as he held the wire and flicked the small solid bit over to the bell. It landed, and drew the bell to it with a small clink. Naruto's smirk got a little bigger as he yanked the wire, causing the bell to leap up and come flying towards his outstretched hand...

"Naruto, look out!" Sakura yelled, but this time, it really was too late.

"Ultimate Secret Leaf Taijutsu, Thousand Years of Death!" Kakashi shouted as he appeared behind Naruto, and did something... most unpleasant.

Kyaena screamed out demonic obscenities and Naruto gave a harsh howl himself as he was launched forward, slamming face first into the tree. He fell to the ground, only for a _snap-twang _of a rope to yank him up by his ankles. But he hadn't even rebounded once when he bent up and slashed the rope with a kunai. He twisted in mid-air and landed on his feet... only for a second rope to yank him up by his ankles again. This time, due to his momentary surprise, several wire towing shuriken managed to zip around him, and in seconds, he was tied, upside down, to the tree trunk.

"Well now," Kakashi chuckled, pulling the wires tight, "It seems I've finally slowed you down." He bent down to pick up what Naruto had been using on the bell. "Hmm. A magnet. An interesting choice for standby equipment." He nodded. '_Whoa. Two nearly successful attempts in the span of only minutes. And if he hadn't been so focused on the bell with his magnet..._' He mused in approval.

"Hey! What's the deal!? I distinctly remember only setting ONE snare trap in this tree!" Naruto yelled as he looked to see the rope still tied to his ankles.

"Oh, that? Well, one trap doesn't always do the job, so I thought I'd help you out by adding a few more." Kakashi said with an eyesmile.

Naruto frowned as he tried to look around the tree slightly.

"Hey Sakura-san! Help me down!" Naruto called.

"**Why bother with her? You can break out of this easy!**" Kyaena huffed.

Kakashi turned to look at the pink haired girl who was about to start forward to help her tied up teammate.

"Oh, I don't think that would be a very good idea, Sakura." Kakashi shook his head. "After all, now that I have Naruto immobilized, if I immobilize you as well, Sasuke will be allllll on his own." He shrugged in a pitying gesture, making Sakura's eyes widen.

"What!? No, don't listen to him Sakura-san! Just throw some shuriken to cut the wires, that way you won't have to get in his reach!" Naruto shouted out in instruction.

Sakura hesitated.

'_Naruto was doing pretty good against Kakashi-sensei, but I'm no match for him on my own._' She thought as her eyes darted from Kakashi, to Naruto, to the various damage around the field. '_I need Sasuke-kun's help! If I go get him, then we come back to group with Naruto... Yes! That's what I'll do!_' She smiled to herself as she turned and ran towards the tree line. "Don't worry Naruto! I'll get Sasuke-kun and be right back!"

"NO! Sakura-san! Come ba-LOOK OUT FOR MY TRAPS!" Naruto shouted just barely in time to see Sakura manage to jump over a pitfall that had opened under her. Naruto sighed in defeat as he watched Sakura disappear into the brush looking for their third group member.

Kakashi walked over to Naruto and tied the wire tight to the tree. Kakashi took a step back to regard the upside down student.

"All tied up with nowhere to go!" Kakashi snickered.

"This might be your last chance, Kakashi." Naruto said quietly in a serious tone.

"Oh? And what chance are you talking about?" Kakashi asked innocently, making Naruto nearly scowl.

"This test. You're supposed to give a test that we actually have a chance to pass as a team." Naruto growled. "But even though I'm trying to get the others included, you keep doing things to break us apart." Naruto glared even harder. "If you don't want to pass, just say so, and it would save us all the time and hassle. Otherwise, you should come clean with the others, and do this right."

Kakashi squatted down a little to be more face-to-face with Naruto.

"Did it ever occur to you, that maybe the others just aren't interested in being your teammates?" Kakashi said in a low voice. "It's entirely their choice on how committed they are to passing. But even with that in mind," Kakashi slowly stood up straight again, "I also have a part to play in this, and it begs the question... How responsible a jounin or sensei would I be.. if I let someone like _**you **_pass?"

The surge of chakra and killing intent from Naruto was so strong, Kakashi actually leapt backwards, thinking he was going to attack, _despite_ being tied up.

"You just dug your own grave." Naruto growled through clenched teeth.

"**Oh yeah, that's a definite.**" Kyaena agreed, thinking of many nasty things to do to Kakashi.

"Well..." Kakashi composed himself. "I suggest you try not to think too hard while you hang out. The blood rushing to your head will make it somewhat painful." He offered in advice as he turned to head off. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go deal with the others." He turned to head off, pausing at the stump with the alarm clock, picking up the scroll Naruto had set there earlier. "I don't think you'll be needing this anymore." He put the scroll in his ninkit and headed into the trees. '_I'm sorry Naruto, I don't really want to be this mean, but I have to make sure this team can handle the difficulties, both physical and psychological, of being a ninja. You're enemies won't ever play nice with you. And speaking of... Sasuke better have a DAMN good explanation for what he did._' He scowled to himself in severe disappointment.

Naruto watched Kakashi disappear from sight. A few seconds later, Naruto gave a grunt as he jerked his arms outward, snapping the wires holding him. He lunged up and cut the rope around his ankles with a kunai, then kicked off the tree hard to land about ten feet away even as the impact of his kick shook the tree, setting off the remaining snares.

Naruto stood up and looked back at the tree, seeing another six rope loops that had been triggered now hanging in view from the branches. He just stood motionless for a moment, before he let his head hang in depression with a fallen expression on his face.

"**They're unworthy of you, Naru-kun.**" Kyaena stated with gentle firmness. "**They're liars and cowards, with no sense of loyalty. And in time, when you become greater than any human this village has ever seen, they will suffer in their guilt for having abandoned you.**" She growled with adamant conviction.

'_So close... I was so close..._' Naruto lamented miserably. '_Almost a ninja. But even if I can trust Iruka-sensei at the academy, it doesn't do any good if no jounin is willing to be my sensei on a squad. It's just like you said._' He put his face in his hands.

"**I don't like being right, not when it leads to your suffering. But I know that humanity isn't as great a race as they would like to claim.**" Kyaena said with a more subdued tone as she flicked her claws slightly.

Naruto stood in silence for a minute, until the clearly recognizable sound of Sakura's scream echoed over the treetops.

'_Looks like Kakashi got Sakura-san._' Naruto slowly looked up in the general direction of the screech. '_Kya-chan... Could I... Could I have one more year? Please? Will you let be have one more chance to become a ninja... before... before I have to..._' His faced scrunched up in overwhelming shame of what he was truly considering.

"**... Before you leave the village?**" Kyaena whispered, knowing, and feeling, just how horrible a thought it was for Naruto. "**Yeah, sure. It's ok. It took you three tries to graduate from the academy, so taking two chances to become a genin is more than fair. And it will also be one more chance for the village, and even for the Old-Man.**" Kyaena said, making Naruto blink in confusion.

'_What do you mean, for the Old-Man?_' He asked as he readjusted his backpack on his shoulders.

"**As long as you get put back in Iruka's class when you return to the academy, you'll easily make the top rank when you graduate again. But it will then be up to the Hokage to put you in a proper squad with teammates that aren't stupid bastards, and to try to get a jounin who will give you an honest chance without prejudice. If this failed test isn't enough for him to realize what needs to be done... Well, after that...**" Kyaena trailed off, since Naruto already knew what the consequences of another failure would mean.

'_I see._' Naruto nodded slowly. '_Old-Man-Hokage__... Pops-Ichiraku... Sis-Ayame... Iruka-sensei... Konohamaru... ... I may not have many friends... But I'll still miss them._' He lightly kicked his toe at the grass.

"**I know Naru-kun.**" Kyaena purred slightly, then her lips pulled back in a sinister smile. "**Now, before you head back to the academy, what do you say to thoroughly humiliating the one eyed snake?**"

'_What do you have in mind?_' Naruto asked as he straightened up with a slight smirk of his own.

* * *

Sasuke had been working his way in a circling pattern through the trees and fields when he heard Sakura's scream. He found his way into a clearing that, thought he wasn't aware of it, was only separated from the original starting field by a single, view-blocking line of thick trees.

Sasuke paused when he felt a distinct presence behind him.

"So now it's you, and me. But I'm different than the others." Sasuke slowly turned around, but blinked in surprise.

Kakashi was standing ridged, glaring harshly at him, with no hint that he was fooling around at all.

"Sasuke, I have a question, and you'd better answer truthfully, for your sake." Kakashi stated in an 'I-mean-business-so-don't-piss-me-off' tone.

"What?" Sasuke slipped into his own taijutsu stance as he edged closer.

"When Naruto was attacking me with his clones earlier, and you threw those shuriken... What were you aiming at?" Kakashi's eye narrowed as he continued to glare.

"Hn. Like it really matters." Sasuke snorted as he abruptly dashed forward with an attempted high kick.

Kakashi reached out and grabbed Sasuke's ankle, swung him around like a whip and slammed him face down into the ground. The next thing Sasuke knew, Kakashi had both of his arms pinned behind his back by kneeling on him.

"Yes, actually it matters a great deal! When you threw those shuriken, what were you aiming at!?" Kakashi demanded out in a shout.

Sasuke struggled for a moment, attempting to free himself, before giving a grunt.

"The one Naruto was holding you. I threw the shuriken, intending to disable one of your legs so you'd be at a disadvantage and no longer be at top speed." Sasuke lied smoothly. "The loser copies just got in the way."

Kakashi stared down at the dark-haired boy.

'_From his position in the trees, to where I was, the trajectory... Well, Naruto's clones __**were **__in-between us. But even if he's telling the truth... which I'm not convinced he is, it was unacceptably reckless of him._' Kakashi frowned under his mask as he got off Sasuke...

Sasuke lunged into a sudden hand spring _backwards_, kicking at Kakashi's face. Kakashi brought up his arms to block, catching Sasuke's ankles, then instantly looked down as the upside-down boy made a mad grab at the bells. Sasuke's finger barely touched one as Kakashi released him and leapt backwards to put a little distance between them. Sasuke saved himself from dropping on his head with a one-handed hand spring to flip himself up right and land on his feet.

"I'm going to end this." Sasuke announced as he stood up straight.

"Even if you are different from the others, that's just called individuality. You have to allow for the other's own diff-" Kakashi stopped with a wide eye as Sasuke made two handsigns.

"FIRE ART, FIREBALL JUTSU!" Sasuke called loudly in triumph as he brought one hand to his mouth...

'_What the-!? First Naruto, now Sasuke!? How much chakra do the members of their graduate class have!?_' Kakashi thought in shock.

A stream of flam shot from Sasuke's mouth to blossom into a large, roundish, mass of fire where Kakashi had been standing. After a moment, Sasuke stopped his jutsu, and looked at the damage to the ground in front of him, but saw no sign of Kakashi's body at all.

'_Wait, where did he go? Behind me? Above?_' Sasuke thought quickly as he looked around himself.

_**CRUNCH**_

In a blink, Sasuke was sucked into the ground until only his head remained above the dirt. Stunned by his sudden condition, he watched as Kakashi seemed to rise up seamlessly out of the ground.

"Earth Art, Headhunter Jutsu." Kakashi announced in a near monotone. "How disappointing. Naruto put up a much better fight than that." He shook his head with a sigh, making Sasuke tense up and growl in indignation.

"I almost got the bell by myself!" He snapped.

"So did Naruto." Kakashi shrugged.

"I got closer quicker than Naruto did!" Sasuke hissed as he was struggling to free himself from the dirt.

Kakashi kneeled down in front of him, giving him a moderate glare.

"It took me far longer to immobilize Naruto that it took me to immobilize you." Kakashi pointed out. "You shouldn't be in such a hurry to try to make yourself stand out. After all, the nail that sticks up most, gets hammered down first... Or something like that, as the saying goes. You could learn quite a bit from Naruto concerning deception and misdirection." Kakashi stood up and walked away.

"NO! There's nothing that **wothless dead-last **could ever teach me!" Sasuke yelled in anger after him. '_I can't believe how easily he overpowered me! He really is a jounin, and is stronger than I am... And it's an unacceptable difference in strength!_' He hissed, still struggling to free himself.

Kakashi frowned to himself as he headed off to go check on something.

'_I can't believe this. Everything I was expecting in this test has gone completely backwards. The two I thought had the least skill turned out to be the most promising, and the one I thought had the greatest promise is turning out to be a severe disappointment._' Kakashi thought sourly.

* * *

Naruto had been discussing the plan with Kyaena when the sound of Sasuke's voice carried his jutsu name over the trees.

'_What the-? After all the times he's accused __**me **__of showing off-!_' Naruto growled slightly as he looked in the general direction that the sound of erupting fire had come from.

"**Stuck-up Uchiha braggart! People always giving them everything! None of the others in your class were allowed to study assault jutsu, yet he goes and gets it like it was candy! I bet that half-blind scum eater is **_**giving **_**that spoiled bitch one of the bells right now!**" Kyaena hissed and spat as she whipped her tails around.

'_Well he's in for a surprise when he finds out he's failed anyway. And Kakashi is going to regret doing this as well!_' Naruto smirked, but then paused and frowned. '_Kya-chan, are you sure about this plan? Are you really ok with me doing it this way? I mean, it is your-_'

"**Don't worry Naru-kun. This one time, to humiliate a Tail-Hunter, is alright. I want him to remember this day for the rest of his miserable life!**" Kyaena chuckled with a huge foxy grin.

Naruto moved into position and prepared himself...

* * *

Back in the other field, Sakura had managed to locate Sasuke, and between the two of them, succeeded in exhuming the broody boy from the ground.

Sakura looked on in extreme worry as Sasuke was brushing the leftover dirt from himself, growling all the while. She could see he was VERY upset about something, presumably getting caught in such a way.

"It's got to be almost noon by now. I **have **to get one of those bells!" Sasuke clenched a fist as he judged the position of the sun in the sky.

"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura offered a supportive smile. "If we hurry back and get Naruto, the three of us should be able to-"

"NO! I won't accept help from that pathetic loser! I'll get the bells, and then that dead-last will be kicked out of here for good!" Sasuke frowned to himself.

"But Kakashi-sensei is too strong for any of us to take on alone! You don't really expect to be able to get a bell from him, do you?" Sakura pleaded to reason.

"I got close enough that I actually touched a bell just a little while ago. Next time, I'll get them." Sasuke vowed with dark undertones.

'_What!? Sasuke-kun touched a bell!? And Naruto nearly had Kakashi-sensei cornered before... At this rate, they'll get the bells and I'm the one who'll be kicked out! No! I can't be separated from Sasuke-kun!_' Sakura thought in panic. "Sasuke-kun, since you and Naruto are both so-Hey wait!" She called out as Sasuke took off, and she followed.

They both ran back to their staring point in the training ground. Sasuke was looking around as Sakura caught up.

"Do you see Kakashi-sensei?" Sasuke demanded, not even looking at her.

"No, but as long as we're here, we should cut down Naruto. He's right th-... Hey, where'd he go?" Sakura blinked as she noticed that Naruto was not tied to the tree where she last saw him. She looked around until she spotted him coming out from some heavy brush next to the river. "Oh, there he is!" Sakura sighed in relief.

Sasuke turned to glare at the blonde who was walking towards the two with a neutral look on his face.

"Hey, brat. Did you see where Kakashi-sensei got to?" Sasuke demanded, and let out a small growl when Naruto ignored him, approaching closer. "HEY! Answer me loser! Tell me what you-eh?" Sasuke stopped when Naruto tossed something at him and at Sakura.

_**chinnng-chinnng**_

Sasuke and Sakura stared in total shock at the small bells now in their hands as Naruto just walked by them, and headed over to the three posts. He picked up the empty duffel bags and ramen cups he had left there. He turned away, just as the alarm clock sounded. Blinking once, Naruto calmly reached over and shut it off, then turned and started off to leave.

"Hey, wait, Naruto! Where are you going!?" Sakura blurted out, still holding the bell in her hand.

Naruto paused for a moment.

"To go get some lunch." He mumbled with a dull tone, not even looking back at them before heading off.

"What? Why? I mean, what are you-... Sasuke-kun, say something!" Sakura shouted, even though Naruto was already gone.

Sasuke was looking at the bell in his hand, and had only one thought.

"HOW THE HELL DID NARUTO GET THE BELLS!?"

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END OF CHAPTER

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Authors Notes:

I can't believe how hard it is for me to write fighting scenes. I thought I would be able to breeze through it, but I had to constantly stop, go back, double check, alter this and that, etc. etc.

I'd really hate to have to re-write this chapter, since to change anything at this point would require me to redo the whole thing, and I'm not sure I could come up with another scenario that would be able to end the way I did it here. Maybe I'm just getting a bit paranoid.

Most of the chapter is self explanatory, with the ending cliffy being quite deliberate. The only thing I want to make sure is clear right now, is when Naruto was in the river and was healing his ribs, Kakashi did **not **feel the demonic chakra he was using. It still only consists a small part of Naruto's total chakra at this time, and it was Naruto's own concentration of chakra (which is mondo huge) that Kakashi felt. I know it would spin my story completely off track if Kakashi got any indication of how much control over Kyaena's energy Naruto has already. But I have made it so that even her presence allows Naruto's own chakra to help contribute to his regenerative abilities. Many of you will notice that I have made Naruto's healing powers stronger than canon. It's intentional, and will play parts in the future. But Naruto is still not, by any means, invincible. I hope it works out alright.

The next chapter is going to be tough to write, as it will be entirely my own. The conclusion of the genin exam, some very heated arguments, and some events that I'm not entirely sure will be very acceptable to some readers. But, it's what I've planned, so it's what I'll write... even if I loose a large number of readers for doing so.

Please be aware, I posted this chapter without having it checked by my beta reader.

To the next batch of reviews:

**Epiphany's Apocalypse**: When it comes to ramen, Naruto is always serious.

**Vahzred**: Thank you for your advice concerning the summery. I have made the change. I'll just have to wait to see.

**Darksnider05**: While I can understand your opinion, and in fact I agree to some extent, I assure you that it will not be so forever. It will take a good while, but Naruto will eventually stop taking crap from anyone. If you stop reading my story, I could offer to PM you when I get to that point. Though, like I said, it will take a long time for me to get to that point. We're talking something like 130 chapters or so.

**Khellan Rafe**: A very good guess. Naruto's behavior will get a little stranger later on, and his... instabilities... will start coming to the surface. But don't worry, he does **not **become a psychotic mass murderer or anything.

**ascher67**: I would never deliberately try to disappoint anyone, but I'm afraid you probably will be when you read my Wave Arc. I am trying to stay close to canon storyline, so events will still happen in more or less the same order, it's just the outcome of each event has the chance to change because of the changes I've made to Naruto, especially including his friendship with Kyaena.

**Yanara**: Sorry the test was mostly serious, but ask yourself... How DID Naruto get the bells? I'm sure you'll enjoy the explanation in the next chapter.

**RevlisFlow**: Thank you for pointing out the hair thing. I have made the alteration to fix that.

**Dr. Yami**: Oh, believe me, I was so very tempted to do what you suggested. But I don't like being cruel to animals if I can help it, and Sasuke would be very, VERY cruel to ANY animal that dared to do such a thing. But don't worry, Sasuke will be humiliated in other ways in the future.

**Raikah**: Thanks for the feed back on those story ideas, though it would have been even better if you had told me you were going to try to write one of them. That's what I put them there for. Oh well.

**Silent Blade**: You say Kyaena is focused on getting Naruto paired with Hinata? Well, let me ask you this. Have you ever heard the expression - "It's not a choice, it's a lack of options." - ? I mean, come on. Naruto, the village parri-, paraiai-, ... the 'demon boy', isn't exactly being chased by fan girls. And Kyaena would at least want someone for Naruto that doesn't seem to have any animosity towards him. Who knows what will happen in the future as Naruto meets more girls, girls from _outside _Konoha. ... ... Well, as the writer, I do, but that would be telling.

**hiro15**: Sorry. While I do like the idea of Naruto on team 8, many others have done that route (and admittedly, I like those stories myself), so I'll be sticking with team 7. It's just the way my story is planned out, it requires it to be so.

**shadow'sdawn**: I have no idea what you mean about the ramen shop scene. As for the pairing... I don't think it's 'blindingly obvious', as anything could happen, and Hinata doesn't even spend that much time around Naruto after graduation, since she has her own missions to do. And as for your harem suggestion, keep in mind two things: One, Naruto doesn't strike me as the type to intentionally seek out such a situation, and Two, even in the event that multiple females do start taking a serious interest in him at the same time, they have to pass Kyaena's approval. And I'm not sure how strict I'm going to have her criteria be just yet.

**Patrick Gleason**: Yes, I do have a LOT of this story planned out already. No, I can't make promises about the pairings, though I'm sure that in time you'll see the direction I lean in, along with one or two surprises (winks) I will throw in.

**Nikki Sage**: I try my best, but hey, updates happen when they happen. Not much I can do about it unless I were to quite my job, stop going out, and become, for all intents and purposes, a cockroach, for the rest of my life in my dedication to writing non-stop, 20 hours a day. (Hey, even cockroaches need sleep... ... I think.) But I'm trying to write for quality. So it takes a while.

And one final note for everyone: I'm sorry if you don't like me putting Naruto on team 7, and if you think my explanation for doing so is weak, I have two words for you - RED TAPE. It happens, it's never fair, and sometimes it can even be worse for military (which I was under the impression that a NINJA village was) than it is for regular politics like nobles or such.

Kunoichi Identity poll

Please see my profile for the poll

Note: I must confess, a few of the guesses are very interesting. Even more so must be the line of thinking to lead people to make those guesses. Strangely though, a few of you reviewers are not completely sure of your guesses. There are a few 'Maybe her, or maybe her' going on. Well, don't expect me to give too many clues, as that would defeat the point of keeping her identity secret for the time being. Also, since I didn't mention it before, the identity will be revealed sometime in the chunin exams. Just so you know. And I will say this for the last time, the kunoichi is not Tetsuko. Tetsuko is my own OC. The kunoichi is someone else. I hope that is clear now. Sorry to say, those who already voted in reviews, please go to my profile, now that I've gotten the actual poll up and running. You only have to vote again once. Just a couple of clicks. This should keep things organized now.

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This chapter edited:

5-20-2013


	7. SOTS,1,01,06

(AN: For disclaimer, see my profile, and also, help me with my goal to have it possible for submissions to display colored text!)

* * *

**SOTS-1-01-06**

**Soul of the Seal - Story 1 - Arc 1 - Chapter 6**

**Chapter 6 - "All The Tests, And The Results Thereof"**

* * *

Naruto ducked slightly under the flaps as he entered the establishment that provided the services to satisfy his one, and presumably only, vice. Having dumped the majority of his equipment back at his apartment, he only had one ninkit left with him, in which resided a pair of important items he'd need later.

"Hey guys." Naruto sighed with slight depression as he hopped up on the stool, and set his Hitai-ate down on the bar.

"Hello Naruto-kun!" Ayame smiled brightly, but her smile disappeared when she noticed that Naruto was not smiling himself. Her eyes darted once to the set-aside Hitai-ate, and it seemed enough to explain things, given the conversations that had happened right in front of her over the past several days. "Oh no, Naruto-kun, are you..." Her face, one that many young men in the village considered more than just cute, fell ever so slightly.

"Heh... Well, better luck next year, right?" Naruto looked up with a half-hearted grin, not wanting to upset her, but not really being able to put his normal effort into it.

"I'm sor-I mean," Ayame sputtered slightly, "You've trained so hard, I just though, since you graduated the academy... I was sure that you..." She gave a slightly embarrassed shrug as her cheeks pinked a bit.

"Don't worry about it." Naruto waved her off. "I'm just going to march right back to the academy and sign up again!" Seeing that she still looked disappointed, he decided to switch tactics. "Look at it this way, if I had passed, I'd start going on missions, who knows how many of which would be outside the village, and I wouldn't be able to come around here as much anymore." He grinned again, this time getting his wanted ear-to-ear effect. "So you'll have another year that I'll be coming here as often as possible!"

"Well, that certainly bodes well for our bank accounts." Teuchi commented as he came out of the back room with a box full of packaged noodle ingredients that he set to the side to use later. "So what'll it be, Naruto?" He asked even as he turned to attend his boiling pots, having his back to Naruto as usual.

Naruto couldn't help the small smirk that kept tugging at his mouth. For most of the village, someone turning their backs to him would only mean revulsion and the desire for him to leave. Anyone else _wouldn't _turn their backs on him out of fear of him doing something, and would watch him with hatred and suspicion. Once upon a time, Naruto had commented on this to Teuchi, who had merely scoffed and said he wasn't about to let his noodles burn for any reason. He wouldn't be the greatest ramen chef in Konoha otherwise. But secretly, Naruto appreciated the trust the man had in him anyway.

"Just one of the largest special you can manage, and make sure it's doubly hot!" Naruto requested, indicating he wanted the temperature hot, as well as wanting it to be _super _spicy.

"Oh dear. I'd better get your drinks then." Ayame sighed as she went to get his usual milk and fruit juice from the refrigerator. Ramen was Naruto's personal vice, but _spicy _ramen was Naruto's comfort food. And it always required a lot of cool liquid to wash it down.

Naruto just nodded as he let the chefs do their jobs.

"**Mmmm.**" Kyaena purred. "**I like'm hot.**" Her tongue licked over her nose in anticipation. Through Naruto, she had been exposed to every possible flavor and style of ramen that the three humans could think of. She had her preferences of course, but no matter what the dish, extra spices were always a good thing.

'_Oh really?_' Naruto thought with returned sourness over the morning's events. '_Does that mean you like that hot-shot, Duck-butt?_' He almost winced as Kyaena gagged.

"**HELL NO!**" She barked out, a little louder than she intended.

Naruto had picked up a pair of chopsticks, and was fiddling with them slightly.

'_I wonder what Iruka-sensei will say when I tell him I failed..._' He thought dully, imagining how disappointed his once-and-future sensei would be with him.

"_**You **_**didn't fail. You got those damnable bells before the timer sounded. It's that cyclops-baka that failed the team by not giving an appropriate test. As far as I'm concerned, you did wonderfully, even if you didn't quite get the chance to go at full power.**" Kyaena declared with absolute confidence.

An ever so miniscule sneer tugged on Naruto's lip.

'_Well, at least by failing me, he has no choice but to fail Sasuke as well._' Naruto broke apart his chopsticks, imagining that the snap they made was the sound of his fist cracking the Uchiha's jaw.

"**I wonder how that teme will take it when he's told he can't pass because you weren't passed. Having his career depend on you will surely infuriate him to no end.**" Kyaena gave a fang-baring grin at the thought of Emo-the-wonder-grump throwing a hissy-fit.

'_Peh. He'll just blame me, getting all mad that I 'got in his way', or some stupid excuse like that. He might even try to pick a fight with me over it._' Naruto paused with a slightly amused thought of the 'mr cool' loosing his temper and being as loud and pushy as Naruto himself... ... Wait, that didn't come out right...

"**Well, if you were to... say... rip his arms and legs off... he couldn't possibly continue his attempts to become a ninja. So you wouldn't have to put up with him in your classes anymore, and wouldn't have to worry about being teamed with him again.**" Kyaena offered in a casually friendly tone, even as her tails twitched in evidence of her hopefulness that her suggestion would be taken seriously.

'_Tempting... VERY tempting._' Naruto sighed as Ayame brought out two pitchers and set them in front of Naruto, then pulled out two empty glasses to accompany them.

"So, Naruto. You don't look too worse for wear." Teuchi commented without even turning around.

"Nah. Getting kicked into a river was about the worst I received." Naruto shrugged, all the while once again wondering how the man could see out of the back of his head. Unless he was part Hyuga or something...

"**Oh, and I see you don't think it necessary to mention that you suffered two broken ribs in the process?**" Kyaena frowned in disapproval. "**You'd better not omit that fact when you report to Iruka. I want that cyclops to get exactly what he deser-**"

'_Don't worry, I'll tell him. I just don't want to freak out Ayame-neechan. I think I've been doing that too much of late._' Naruto responded. Kyaena nodded to herself in satisfaction over that little bit.

"You don't seem all that damp, Naruto-kun." Ayame observed as she took the steaming hot ramen bowl from her father and carefully placed the heavy meal in front of their best, and most frequent customer.

Naruto paused in his reach for the spice shakers as he regarded himself with slight surprise. He realized Ayame was right. His cloths, especially the thicker collar of his jacket, should have still been damp and uncomfortable after his thorough soaking, but they weren't. And he hadn't even noticed when this became the case.

"That's weird." Naruto blinked as he tested the broth of his ramen. "Well, I'm telling you, I got dunked good." Deciding that his food was plenty spiced already, he put the shaker back.

Ayame gave a large, innocent shrug as Naruto began eating his lunch, neither bothering to notice the crash that came from outside across the street. Naruto chomped away with enthusiasm, delighting in each sizzling hot bite as he washed it down with alternating milk or juice.

"**I bet that pathetic Uchiha couldn't even handle food as spicy as you can!**" Kyaena snickered as she enjoyed the spicy goodness. Sometimes, Naruto was even able to conjure mental images to project for her, so she could 'eat' as long as Naruto was eating.

'_...But that didn't stop him from being able to learn a fire jutsu. The very element that you are. The element that I wish... How could he have been so damn lucky..._' Naruto tried to hold back his envy, and failed.

"**That is nothing.**" Kyaena said after a moment of silence. "**Just... Just some freak fluke chance of na-.. I mean, of his birth.**" She cleared her throat.

Naruto nearly choked on his ramen as he bolted upright, coughing out a noodle. He couldn't remember the last time Kyaena had stumbled over her words like that. After assuring Ayame and Teuchi he was alright, he returned to eating, albeit, much more carefully as he focused on his thoughts and actions.

'_Kya-chan? What's wrong? What was-_' He tried to ask, but...

"**Forget it! Never mind! My point is that you don't have anything to feel bad about!**" Kyaena spoke quickly, then cleared her throat to continue normally. "**So he knows **_**one **_**fire jutsu. But you have ME. The power of an elemental!**"

'_Uh, I thought you were a __**para**__-elemental._' Naruto pointed out, chomping on some shrimp.

"**One way or the other...**" Kyaena rolled her eyes slightly. "**You haven't even tried learning a fire jutsu yet. They don't even teach advanced combat jutsu to cadets. Uchiha-teme, like the others in your class, only have those extra jutsu because they come from ninja clans with their own archives. I guarantee once you get working on it, fire will be second nature for you!**" Kyaena encouraged, happily flipping her tails left and right. "**And just like normal life chakra, I'm an expert on the elemental forces, being an elemental after all. I've already taught you the basics of the current ten established elements, so this will be the next step.**"

'_The development and manipulation of elemental affinities? I remember Iruka-sensei commenting on them in history, when he was talking about the Shodaime and Nidaime. But isn't that an advanced skill, that only jounin are allowed to learn?_' Naruto's brow furrowed in contemplation as he slurped up noodle after noodle.

Ayame and Teuchi, busy with other customers who were traditionally ignoring Naruto, noted the boy's contemplative expression. The two chefs exchanged proud looks, knowing that Naruto was already thinking how to better himself in his next year of work in his attempts to become a ninja.

"**I don't remember anyone ever **_**actually **_**saying that it was restricted, but it is considered a very advanced skill. I suspect that most ninja don't even try to start working on developing it until they're well established chunin. But, just like your chakra control exercises, the sooner you get started, the better. You have lots of energy, so getting it under control is essential. Make sure to ask Iruka about all the information you'll need for this when you get to the academy.**" Kyaena nodded in satisfaction at the new plan.

'_Even still... Sasuke has a head start on me. He doesn't have an elemental inside him, and he's already this far along._' Naruto commented dryly as he was nearing the end of his meal, starting to drink up the extra broth.

"**Oh please.**" Kyaena snorted. "**I've known imps that can spit more powerful fire than that... that... impotent weed!**"

'_Imps? I thought that they were a minor race of sub-demons that were often enslaved for little more than manual labor, which isn't much since they themselves are rather on the small side._' Naruto remarked as he upended his bowl, finished of his drinks, and picked up a napkin to wipe at his mouth.

"**That's right, although there are rare occasions of imp shamans who are capable of minor magic. If they can manage to get a more powerful demon to take them as... well, I guess 'lackey' is a fairly accurate term, they sometimes are capable of producing what you humans sometimes refer to as, 'hellfire'. Even the smallest flame of that, burns hotter than any normal fire that exist in the human world.**" Kyaena explained as she picked at her teeth with an elongated claw.

'_Really!?_' Naruto perked up with a smile even as he paid for his meal and waved to Ayame and Teuchi before excusing himself. "If anyone comes looking for me, you haven't seen me today, ok?" He said to the chefs, who nodded with slightly confused looks. Naruto exited the shop as he refocused his thoughts. '_You think it's possible I could learn to produce hellfire!?_' He asked with excitement as he nearly bounced along the street headed for the academy.

"**NO! Err, no. Sorry.**" Kyaena lowered her voice to a soft, apologetic tone. "**I was only using that example to try to cheer you up and prove that the Uchiha-teme isn't anything special. But I'm afraid that you're not capable of directly channeling hellfire. Even with my presence, you are still human, and it would be too harmful to your body. You'd have to be at least half-demon to be able to do anything with it.**" She sighed in disappointment at the same time Naruto did. "**But I guarantee that you'll be able to use fire jutsu like a master once you start studying. My energy will make sure of it!**" She ended with a reassuring note.

'_And I'll be sure to be better than Duck-butt!_' Naruto smirked in acceptance of the fact.

He walked in silent satisfaction for a moment, until Kyaena perked her ears up a little.

"**Second nature...**" She mumbled in a thoughtful expression.

'_Eh? What's that, Kya-chan?_' Naruto asked, turning a corner as the main entrance of the academy came into view down at the end of the road.

"**With my energy, you're guaranteed to have an energy alignment to fire, even if you weren't born with it. But no matter how strong the influence of my energy is, it would never be able to completely displace your own natural born energy alignment.**" Kyaena thought out carefully. "**So, if fire is going to be your second nature, I wonder what your own, primary natural element is?**"

'_What, you mean you can't sense my own chakra nature? You are inside me after all, and an elemental to boot._' Naruto blinked in slight surprise.

"**Well, I could make a few educated guesses based on facts and observations I've made over time, but since you've been working so much with my energy for so long, it will be a little harder to know for sure without something to start as a base of reference. We've definitely got to get the information from Iruka so we can get directly to work on this.**" Kyaena nodded, sweeping her tails around to fluff up her pillows.

Naruto nodded as he approached the doors to the academy, noting that it was quiet since it was between semesters, and therefore, no classes.

'_Directly..._' Naruto thought suddenly.

"**Eh? What's that, Naru-kun?**" Kyaena tilted her head slightly.

'_You said, that because I'm human, it would be too dangerous for me to channel hellfire __**directly**__. But what about indirectly? You said that even an imp could produce hellfire, but only with the help of a more powerful demon. That implies that the imp can't produce it himself, but rather, his fire is enhanced by the energy of the second demon. Transforming normal fire into hellfire. Something I could do outside of my body. If that's the case, surely you, the para-elemental queen of kitsune, would know how to do that, right?_' Naruto paused at the doors with one hand on the handle.

Kyaena blinked a few times, before her fur rippled with a kitsune blush tinting her face.

"**You brilliant, hyperactive, imaginative golden fluff! If you were my own kit, I would treat you to a week of...**" Kyaena stopped herself. "**Well, ah, yes. Yes I do know how. We'll have to explore that once you get the other basics down, which shouldn't take you very long.**" She stated before burying her face into the pillows in embarrassment.

'_Haha! Yeah, that's fine. As long as it doesn't take too much time out of my already over-booked training schedule, I'm good for it!_' Naruto chuckled as he entered the academy front hall.

Kyaena had picked up two pillows with her tails, and was beating herself over the head.

'_**Inexcusable... INEXCUSABLE!**_' She berated herself. '_**Am I so over-protective of Naru-kun that now I'm discarding potentially important, if potentially dangerous, ideas? Most of his normal training, though a bit painful, isn't life threatening to him. Not as long as my power can always regenerate him. But if a concept comes along that would cause him more harm, will I just toss it aside without thinking it through?**_' Kyaena tried not to hiss out loud, not wanting Naruto to know she was bothered. '_**He's trying to become a ninja! Even if he can't do it in this village, he'll still try elsewhere! He'll always be in danger! I have to make sure he has every possible advantage available to him! So I'll have to be more cautious in the future. I mean, less cautious. I mean... ... Arrrggh!**_' She picked up a third pillow, and continued to smack herself.

* * *

Sakura and Sasuke were still standing in training field seven right where Naruto had left them. The were confused about what to do. Well, Sakura was confused, Sasuke was... oddly predictable.

"This isn't possible!" He growled still glaring at the offending trinket in his palm. "There is no way, NO WAY, that loser could beat a jounin!"

"What about Kakashi-sensei? The alarm clock went off several minutes ago, but he hasn't shown up! What are we supposed to do?" Sakura fidgeted nervously. "Are we just supposed to report to the academy? Or to Hokage-sama? Are we supposed to get lunch and come back? Should we go after Naruto? Why did he leave? Do you think he's coming back?" Her questions came out one after another in an anxious ramble.

"It doesn't matter if he does, he's NOT getting this bell back." Sasuke growled as he clenched his fist around the metal. "If he was such a baka as to give them away, then he deserves to fail! I only want to know how he got them!"

"B-but, Sasuke-kun, Naruto is the one who got the bells... He should deserve to have one of them so he can pass..." Sakura looked over at Sasuke nervously, not sure how her statement would be taken.

"Then give him yours if you want to!" Sasuke snapped. "But as soon as Kakashi-sensei shows up, I'm claiming my victory. We're ninja. It doesn't matter how we achieve our mission, all that matters is that we succeed. I was supposed to obtain a bell before noon, and I did. If Naruto had just given up our objective in the middle of a mission like he did here, I would kill him myself for betraying us. He deserves to fail, because he'll never have the spine or dedication to be a real ninja." He snorted. Sakura looked stunned, and more than a little hurt at the dark boy's attitude.

"But that... that isn't fair! Naruto put so much hard work into this! And he was the one who tried to tell us abo-Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura suddenly yelled and pointed behind Sasuke.

Sasuke spun around in an instant to look where she was indicating. Kakashi was slowly stumbling out of some bushes at the edge of the tree line by the river. He looked like he was a little dazed, and was adjusting his mask on his face. He made his way over to stop in front of the two students, straightening up.

"Oh, hey guys. Sorry if I'm a little late. But you see, this-" Kakashi started to say, but was stopped when Sasuke held up his jingling bell. Kakashi's eye snapped wide open, and his hand slapped to his belt as he looked down, seeming shocked that the bells were missing.

"So now that the test is over, what are our orders Sensei?" Sasuke asked in that 'I'm-so-cool-and-the-world-agrees' tone that he took secret delight in practicing when alone.

"How did you get those?" Kakashi demanded as he saw Sakura hesitantly hold up her bell as well.

"Well, right before the alarm went off, Na-" Sakura started to explain, but Sasuke stepped in front of her.

"We got them because it was our mission to." Sasuke stated to the jounin, then gave Sakura a warning look.

"Where's Naruto?" Kakashi asked with an obvious frown in his voice as he glanced around briefly.

"He's-" Sakura started to point, but Sasuke slapped her hand down.

"He's gone because he failed. So we can just forget about that loser." He almost growled at Sakura, who flinched back.

"Sasuke! Stop it! Let Sakura answer!" Kakashi snapped in severe agitation. '_This isn't good. It seems Naruto reacted a bit more severely to my act than I wanted._' Kakashi was hoping he was wrong about what was happening. "Sakura, what happened?"

"Well, uh..." Sakura gave a glance at Sasuke who was glaring at her. "J-just before your alarm clock went off, Naruto came up to us and gave us the bells. No explanation or anything. Then he picked up his bags, shut off the alarm when it went off, and... he just left!" She swallowed a nervous lump under Kakashi's stare.

'_Oh crap. I knew he was a little angry, but I didn't expect him to just take off. Wait, did he..._' Kakashi reached into his ninkit, and nearly sighed in relief when his hand found the scroll that Naruto had written earlier. But there seemed to be a lot of empty space as well. "Oh no..." Kakashi's voice sounded horrified as his hand dug around franticly. "Oh no! I can't believe he-... SAKURA!" Kakashi's shout made the already nervous kunoichi jump. "Did Naruto say where he was going?" He asked with rushed urgentness.

"I, he, he j-just said he was going to g-get some lunch!" Sakura swallowed again before taking a step forward. "Sensei, what's going on? Naruto didn't seem at all happy when he gave us the bells. If he got them from you, he should have been excited! And... and I think he deserves to pass! Isn't there some way to change the test? It isn't fair for one person to do most of the work, only to be failed because there weren't enough... I mean..." Sakura frowned slightly, trying to think clearly. "If the three of us went on a mission to retrieve two scrolls, and succeeded, bringing them back, would it matter who was carrying them when we came through the door? We all do our part, and sometimes on some missions, one of us will do more than the others. But we're still supposed to be a team, right?" She finished with a trace of hope.

Sasuke was looking at her like she had lost her mind. But Kakashi paused to consider the pink haired girl.

'_Well well. It seems that Naruto's efforts have had a bit of an impact after all. But Hokage-sama is going to impact __**me **__if I don't get this under control._' Kakashi shook his head to clear it. "Look, I think this should be discussed between all four of us. Sakura, did Naruto say where he was going to go to eat?" He gestured towards her.

"No, but... Well, Naruto said he likes ramen and fruit in his introduction yesterday." Sakura thought for a moment. "And I remember that Naruto and Choji would often talk about ramen during lunch at the academy... I think they named a place called-"

"Ichiraku's. Of course." Kakashi lightly smacked his Hitai-ate. "With the way my luck is running lately, he'll be there, chatting away with Hokage-sama. Alright! Grab your stuff and lets go!" Kakashi quickly put his alarm clock into his backpack and shouldered it.

"What? You can't seriously want to go after that failure." Sasuke scoffed in disbelief as Sakura scrambled to grab her bag.

"Sensei, what did you mean about Hokage-sama? Does... Naruto really know him... personally?" Sakura asked with a hint of dread.

"What, you mean you didn't know?" Kakashi shrugged. Sakura paled slightly.

"Why are we even talking about this?" Sasuke demanded with growing irritation. "We have the bells. Naruto doesn't. We pass, he fails. That's what you said the test was when we started, right!?"

Kakashi gave a slight jerk, and paused with his back to the two.

"Sensei? What is it?" Sakura asked slowly, suddenly wary as a small alarm was going off in the back of her mind.

"We have to find Naruto. NOW." Kakashi ordered as he rushed off. '_Please, please, please Kami... Let me find Naruto before he talks to anyone about this._' He prayed desperately.

Sakura gave a squeak as she rushed after.

"Hey, wait!" Sasuke scrambled to grab his bag as he took off after the others. "If we're going to bother with Naruto, will you at least tell me how he got the bells!?"

* * *

Naruto was grumbling slightly as he was walking through the halls of the academy, looking in one door after another. His return to the academy was less than well received. The first person he had asked if they had seen Iruka...

"What the hell are you doing back!? I thought we were rid of you for good!"

Needless to say, Naruto was less than thrilled with the attitude of most of the staff. Worst still, Naruto had a hard time separating those that were tail-hunters, and those that were just still pissed over the pranks he'd pulled in the last three years. Then there was the fact that there simply wasn't that many people around at the moment.

So, except for a vague acknowledgement from a janitor that Iruka was, in fact, in the building, Naruto was simply checking each wing and floor systematically. When he caught the whiff of familiar smoke, he zeroed in on one of the larger meeting rooms. He opened the door to see Sarutobi and Iruka sitting at a single square table, evidently having tea as Sarutobi casually blew smoke rings from his pipe.

Taking a chair for himself from the ones stacked up along the wall next to the door, he trotted over to his superiors. Iruka looked up at the sound of his approaching steps, and smiled.

"Ah, Naruto! Please, sit down." Iruka eagerly motioned to the nearest side of the table for Naruto to join them.

"Hey Sensei, Old-Man." Naruto nodded to both of them as he put the chair down and sat down.

"Tea?" Sarutobi offered, gesturing to the pot.

"No thanks, I just finished lunch." Naruto shrugged, then his mouth twitched. "You know, Old-Man, I'm beginning to realize that it seems every time I see you, you have your pipe out. You really shouldn't indulge so much. It isn't good for you." He said with a concerned voice.

"This coming from the bottomless ramen disposal?" Sarutobi chuckled. "Don't worry. At my age, I can afford it."

"**For a human that is in his declining years, not to mention all he's already done in his life, he's more than entitled to his leisure's.**" Kyaena spoke up. "**Besides, his pipe isn't bottomless. He can at least pace himself.**" She snickered.

"First, I'm not bottomless." Naruto jutted his chin. "Second, ramen can be very good for you when made in the right way, and Pops-Ichiraku knows all the ways to do it. Third, I don't _only _eat ramen, it's just one of my favorite foods, that's all. Fourth, I can afford it also, as my wallet is fatter than yours is these days, old man." Naruto grinned.

Sarutobi and Naruto chuckled at each other over their personal jokes. Iruka found it amusing that a man as old as the Hokage could be similar to a young hyperactive boy like Naruto. But Iruka's laughs died in his throat when he noticed... Naruto wasn't wearing his Hitai-ate.

"So, ah... Naruto. Are you here for a tour of the archives?" Iruka asked with a tentatively hopeful voice.

Pulled from his joking with the Hokage, Naruto blinked at Iruka once, then sighed. He pulled out his Hitai-ate from his jacket pocket and slid it across the table.

"No. I'm here to enroll for the next year." Naruto slumped in his chair a bit, no longer willing to meet his sensei's eyes. "I'm sorry if I let you down."

Iruka looked upon the metal band with sadness, and a small bit of anger.

'_No! I can't believe this! He couldn't have failed! His skills are more than enough for a genin! But, that means, that either the team couldn't work together, or..._' Iruka struggled to keep his clenching fists hidden below the table.

Sarutobi was looking more that a little displeased himself as he considered the situation.

"So. You failed the genin exam." The old man stated slowly. He raised an eyebrow when Naruto glared at him.

"I failed? No, more like I _was _failed. The exam was a total disaster with a capitol D." Naruto shot a fowl look at Iruka. "I told you that just throwing me into some group at random wasn't going to work."

"Hey, I was just the messenger." Iruka waved off franticly, pointing to Sarutobi. "It's the Hokage that has the final say in the team arrangements."

"Now wait, you know that I could only make the best arrangements I could at the time with what options I had." Sarutobi, despite his statement of defense, looked slightly uncomfortable. "Sometimes a team just doesn't work out at first. That's why we have the genin exam to evaluate co-operation and coordination of the graduates. It's not like we can accept high or low scores. Real work in the field is not a test." Sarutobi puffed on his pipe.

"Test? High and low!?" Naruto hissed. "I'll tell you something, the _high _point of the exam was when I suffered two broken ribs," Naruto stated, ignoring the shocked looks of concern on the two men, "And the _low _point was when one of my own teammates..." Naruto trailed off, then frowned. "Ah, forget it. It's not like any of us could have passed anyway." He slumped in his chair again. Sarutobi raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that Naruto?" The Hokage asked carefully then took a sip of his tea.

"**Go ahead, tell them what that myopic jackass did! And don't forget to add what the Uchiha bastard did also!**" Kyaena growled out. Naruto gave a snort.

"I don't know what was going through his head, but the idiot jounin didn't even give us a chance. He deliberately rigged the exam so we couldn't pass at all." Naruto pulled a candy bar from his pocket, unwrapped half of it, and took a bite.

"Naruto," Iruka frowned, "I'm sorry if things didn't go well, but you can't just accuse-"

"You told me yourself, the genin exam is about the team." Naruto interrupted. "You said that either all three of us pass, or not. Kakashi set up this stupid scenario with these two bells, and said only those of us that had a bell before noon would pass. Never mind the fact that asking genin to try to take on a jounin is just plain ridiculous, even though I got both bells from him, since there are only two, and he said that whoever didn't get a bell would fail. But since failing one means that all three automatically fail... well, that's it." Naruto shrugged. "He obviously didn't want anything to do with us, so he made it impossible for us to pass." Naruto crammed the rest of his candy bar into his mouth.

Sarutobi was trying not to grind his teeth as he listened to Naruto's explanation.

"What exactly did Kakashi say when your exam concluded?" Sarutobi asked. Naruto blinked twice, swallowed, then shrunk down in his chair a bit.

"Uh, well, actually," Naruto mumbled into his jacket collar, "I didn't stick around to find out. As soon as the alarm went off at noon, signaling the end of the exam, I left." Naruto paused then straightened up again. "I admit, I kinda wish I had stuck around to see Duck-Butt's reaction to being told he failed," Naruto's face blanked slightly, "But I REALLY didn't want to listen to whatever excuses that half-blind duster head was going to try to spit out. He had spent the whole exam trying to keep us separated. Every time I tried to get Sakura-san and Sasuke to help me out, he would say or do something to try to imply that we would never get along. His attitude was just... wrong." He started to frown.

Sarutobi was becoming concerned, not only for Naruto's behavior and attitude, but for what it seemed that Kakashi had done. But Iruka suddenly interrupted the moment of silence.

"Wait a minute Naruto, you said that the exam consisted of obtaining bells, and the one that didn't get them failed. But you said you got both bells. If that's true, and you didn't wait to hear Kakashi's decision, how could you have failed?" The chunin asked in total confusion.

"I said there were two bells for the three of us." Naruto shrugged. "I gave them to Sakura-san and Sasuke. Leaving me without a bell. So I failed."

Sarutobi and Iruka both gaped wide-eyed at Naruto's admission. That he had the means to pass, but then had willingly given it up to his teammates. Considering they knew how motivated Naruto was to become a ninja, this action left them both baffled, concerned, but ultimately, proud.

'_Despite his own personal difficulties, and the realization that Kakashi was not giving a proper exam, at least in his particular situation, he still gave his support to his teammates._' Sarutobi thought with approval, with Iruka having similar feelings.

"That was certainly generous of you. Helping your teammates." Iruka commented with a smile.

"Generous?" Naruto raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "There's very little about being a ninja that's generous. I gave them the bells because it didn't matter. I could tell Kakashi was going to fail me regardless if I had the bells or not."

"And how could you tell that?" Sarutobi asked, sipping some tea.

"**Yeah, go ahead Naru-kun, tell them.**" Kyaena smirked with satisfaction. Naruto considered for a moment, then took a breath.

"At one point, Kakashi had tied me to a tree. The other two had moved out of earshot into the woods. Kakashi said to me, and I quote: 'What kind of jounin or sensei would I be if I let someone like _**you **_pass?'" Naruto toned in an attempt to mimic Kakashi.

Sarutobi and Iruka went tense.

'_So he does hate Naruto._' Iruka grit his teeth, feeling a slight pang of guilt as he recalled how he had felt about Naruto when the boy had first entered the academy three years ago.

"I see." Sarutobi said with a much too even tone. '_It seems that I need to have a talk with Kakashi later._' He thought with severe disappointment in the sliver haired copy ninja. "So, Naruto. You said you want to enroll for the next academy year?" He sighed as he took another puff on his pipe.

"Yep." Naruto let out a heavy sigh. "I figured, 'hey, why not?' It's not like I have anything to lose. So I might as well give it one last try."

_**CRACK**_

Naruto and Iruka jumped slightly and looked at Sarutobi, who dropped his now broken pipe onto the table.

"Hokage-sama?" Iruka asked, surprised by the anxiety rolling off his leader.

"Old-Man? What's wrong?" Naruto asked in concern at the semi-horrified look on the elder's face.

"You... You said... one... _last_...try?" Sarutobi asked veeerrry slowly.

"**Uh-oh. Be careful Naru-kun. I think you just hit a nerve. He sounds worried about something.**" Kyaena perked her ears up to concentrate on what was about to happen.

"Uhh..." Naruto swallowed nervously. "I... I just..."

Iruka turned to cast a surprised look at Naruto.

"Naruto? Is that true? Are you-" Iruka frowned in worry.

"I know you two are worried about me!" Naruto blurted out quickly. "But... I'm not blind. I don't _want _to give up, that's why I'm willing to try again." Naruto gave a neutral look at Sarutobi. "But it's kind of hard to get anywhere when nobody other than you two want me to succeed. Otherwise, that ass Mizuki wouldn't' have gone to all the trouble-..." Naruto trailed off.

Sarutobi and Iruka traded looks again.

"Naruto?" Iruka asked.

"Mizuki... he... What he said... The reason why people hate me..." Naruto was mumbling, his eyes unfocused. Iruka and Sarutobi looked like they were both going to have heart attacks.

'_Oh no! No, no, no, no!_' Iruka was turning pale.

"I didn't really pay attention before, because of what was happening." Naruto continued in a subdued tone. "I didn't really have time to think about it. But... what he said... about me... the reason... Was he telling the tru-?"

"He's a traitor that tried to kill us both. He wanted to steal the scroll. He would have done anything to get his way, including trying to confuse and upset a young, fresh-from-the-academy genin. Don't ever give him another thought." Iruka said firmly.

"**You know, if you can't become a ninja, you'd make a great actor.**" Kyaena mused. "**Interesting trick, getting them scared of 'the truth', to get them eager to make sure you don't know about me. Although, you know that you won't be able to keep you feigned ignorance going forever.**" She flexed her claws slightly. "**When the time comes, to protect yourself, it will happen. Now turn the conversation before they start asking too many questions.**"

"... I guess it doesn't matter." Naruto sighed. "But I can't waste away my life waiting to catch a break. I was hoping, if your willing Iruka-sensei, to get a little more out of the academy than just repeating the same classes again. I've essentially memorized all of that by now." Naruto looked at Iruka.

"I'm not surprised, considering the results of your written re-evaluation." Iruka smirked. "I'm sure I could find some more challenging work for you." Iruka's smirk got bigger. "How about trying out being my assistant? Since Mizuki is gone now, I could use the help."

"Wait a minute." Sarutobi interrupted, though he had to hold back a snicker at Naruto's expression at the thought of working at the academy. "Naruto, I want you to answer truthfully. You said this would be your last try. What will you do if you get to team placement again, and fail again?" Sarutobi stared hard at the boy.

"... I'll withdraw from the academy." Naruto said after a moment.

"You'd just give up!?" Iruka blurted in shock and disappointment.

"No, I don't _just _give up." Naruto glared at Iruka. "But if no jounin is willing to be sensei of a team with me on it, I won't be able to progress any further. So I won't waste people's time, or the village's resources, if they don't want me. If, at the next team placement and genin exam, it happens like it did this time, I'll withdraw from the academy... ... and leave the village."

* * *

Kakashi, Sakura, and a rather irritated Sasuke rapidly walked up to the open and busy front of Ichiraku Ramen. It was the lunch rush, and every stool was occupied. Kakashi moved forward, pushing past a few people, who's protests dropped short when they realized not only who he was, but that he seemed in a less-that-chipper mood. He came up to the bar with Sakura and Sasuke behind him.

"Excuse me!" Kakashi called over the slight ruckus of the customers. Ayame quickly came over.

"Welcome to Ichiraku's, I can take your order and give you a number-" She began in her professional manner, but Kakashi waved her off.

"Sorry but we're not here to eat." Kakashi didn't notice the looks of his students behind him, who, while not fond of ramen specifically, were being tortured by the effect of the delicious smells on their still empty stomachs. "I'm in a hurry, and I just need to know if Naruto Uzumaki has been by here in the last hour or so." Kakashi noticed Teuchi scrubbing out an abnormally large bowl at the sink in the back.

"No, sorry, he hasn't been around today." Ayame replied, a bit too quickly.

Kakashi sighed to himself. She was a civilian. He was a elite jounin. Her lie was as obvious as if she had told him that the Hokage mountain was made of rocky-fudge-ripple.

"Did he say where he was going after he was done eating?" Kakashi asked.

Ayame's eyes darted to Sakura and Sasuke before coming back to the jounin.

"I said, he hasn't been around today. If you'll excuse me, there are other customers waiting." Ayame started to turn.

"I'm sure your a sweet girl who means well for a friend, but this is official business. So unless you can name the Akimichi that ate from that bowl," Kakashi pointed to where Teuchi was setting the bowl aside to finish drying, "I need to know where Naruto went."

"It was Choji Akimichi. He came-wha?" Ayame stopped when Teuchi put a hand on her shoulder.

"Go attend the customers." Teuchi said with a serious voice. Ayame's eye's widened slightly, shooting another look at the ninja in front of her, with her eyes lingering on the younger two for a moment. Sakura noticed, raising an eyebrow.

"But dad," Ayame whispered angrily, "I think this is the jerk who failed Naruto-kun!"

"I'm half-blind, not half-deaf." Kakashi sweat-dropped. "And the exam isn't over yet. That's why I need to find Naruto, so I can straighten things out. He left before I could finish my duties."

"What? What do you mean the exam isn't over, Sensei?" Sakura asked in surprise.

"Naruto-kun sure seemed to think it was over, for him anyway." Ayame shot an angry look at the pink haired kunoichi, who stiffened at the all-too familiar glare of female competition. Though she was confused as hell as to why the older girl was glaring at her, especially over Naruto of all people.

"I'll explain when we find Naruto." Kakashi said over his shoulder, then addressed the chief chef. "As I said, this is official. I need to know where Naruto went, if you know."

Despite Ayame still shaking her head, Teuchi nudged her away.

"I seem to recall him saying that he intended to re-apply at the academy. I don't know if he went straight there from here or not. But it's all he mentioned." Teuchi said, though his face seemed tense and displeased.

"Thank you." Kakashi nodded, then turned and headed out of the eatery.

Sakura gave a last glance at Ayame, who was still watching her out of the corner of her eye as she served the customers.

'_What's with her? I don't know her, yet she seems to have a problem with me._' Sakura wondered in confusion as she and Sasuke headed after Kakashi. '_Kami... And those smells are making me hungrier than anyone should even be capable of being!_' She thought miserably.

"Sensei, are you going to tell us how Naruto got the bells or not!?" Sasuke called as he followed behind.

* * *

"Leave the village!?" Iruka shouted in shock as he jumped to his feet, knocking his chair back. "Naruto, don't you think you're over-reacting!?"

"Iruka-sensei, calm down!" Naruto waved at him urgently.

"Calm down!? CALM DOWN!? How can you tell me you're planning on _abandoning _the village and expect-" Iruka's rant was cut short as Naruto jumped up from his chair, letting off enough angry energy to nearly blow Iruka right off his feet.

"I AM _**NOT **_ABANDONING THE VILLAGE!" Naruto screamed out with such rage that both men were stunned silent for the several moments it took Naruto to calm himself. After taking several breaths, and hearing Kyaena purr to him for a few moments, Naruto forced himself to sit back down. "I am not abandoning anyone." Naruto repeated. "I'm just trying to plan ahead on what to do with my life if the village refuses to let me help them. You two tell me, in as long as you've been ninja, have you ever been able to help someone who _didn't want _your help?" Naruto looked back and forth between his friends.

"...No. No I guess not." Iruka said slowly, nervously, as he picked up his chair and re-seated himself.

"I don't want to leave the village, I really don't. But I can't keep struggling against _everyone_, _all _the time." Naruto sighed. "Kyaena-chan knows of a few places she thinks I could do real well. But I convinced her to let me have one more year to try to become a ninja before I left."

"Where does she plan to take you?" Iruka asked, noting how quiet Sarutobi was being.

"It doesn't matter. That would be our business." Naruto shook his head. "But you have my word, I won't leave unless I fail the next time."

"Well then," Iruka drew himself up with determination, "I'll just have to make sure that by the time the next graduation comes around, you're so ready to be accepted that people will be fighting over who will get to be your sensei."

"**Hey, now there's an idea! Get all those tail-hunters to fight each other until they drop dead so they can't interfere with your life anymore!**" Kyaena giggled at the thought.

Needless to say, when Naruto started laughing, Iruka was thrown for a loop.

"Hahaha! Now's who's over reacting!? Hahaha!" Naruto slapped the table a few times.

As Iruka was trying to convince Naruto of his sincerity, Sarutobi was having a serious conflict of the heart.

'_This is a terrible problem._' The old man closed his eyes to completely concentrate. '_As a civilian, there is absolutely nothing I can do if Naruto decides to leave the village. But I can only protect him as long as he remains in the village. As a ninja, he would have even more protection by law, and anyone who dared to assault him would be charged with full treason for attacking a Konoha ninja._' Sarutobi dug around in his pockets looking for his standard spare pipe. '_But as a ninja, he would have to follow certain rules and laws, and any time he is sent out of the village, he would have to be especially careful in case someone tried to cause an 'incident' that would get him declared rouge._' Finding his pipe, he reached for his incense pouch. '_But on the other hand, if he were to leave as a civilian, it would be all too easy for any of a hundred 'people', and I use that term loosely, to send an assassin or mercenary to kill him. And he wouldn't have any protection, regardless of how talented a sensei Kyaena-san seems to be. And despite Tetsuko's honest dedication to protecting him in the village, I somehow doubt she would be willing to shadow him for the rest of her life._' Sarutobi packed a bit of incense into his pipe. '_Then there's the matter of the danger of someone somehow finding out about the demon, or worse, Naruto's true heritage. No, the only way to keep Naruto safe is to keep him in the village, and he'll only do that if he can become a ninja. How's that for ironic. But Kakashi failed the squad._' Sarutobi's brow furrowed slightly. '_There is one other option, aside from him waiting another year. But more than a few individuals would raise a ruckus over it, even if the decision is mine to make. She would certainly be willing, I'm sure. But, should I do it?_' Sarutobi gave a light sigh to himself as he opened his eyes to find that darn elusive match in his pocket, only to notice that Naruto and Iruka had somehow gotten into an argument when he wasn't looking.

"...-I'm telling you, just a change in the method of presentation would work wonders!" Naruto was tapping a finger on the table for emphasis.

"The courses have been taught the same way for years, Naruto. Nothing needs to be changed." Iruka had his arms folded over his chest with a look of determination, or stubbornness.

"Come on! The way you just drone on and on with those lessons, you wonder why Shikamaru and myself kept falling asleep all the time!" Naruto rolled his eyes. "You need to keep it simpler, sharper, and try to cut out some of the more irrelevant parts!"

"And just who would decide what's irrelevant? You? Besides, they're classes for students, not mission briefings! They're supposed to inform, not interrogate!" Iruka shook his head.

"By Arceus, will you listen to yourself!?" Naruto smacked his head in disbelief. "We're cadets, not just students! We're training to be _ninja_! Briefings are part of the job! So why not get us used to the real thing while you have the chance?"

"There are a number of important lessons that are only learned through serious study. The history of Konoha-" Iruka tried to explain, only to be cut off by a huff from Naruto.

"History! There's a perfect example right there!" Naruto pointed franticly. "I'm sure there are SOME important points in the village's history that most ninja should know, the who's-who, and what's-what, but we need to know more about how things are now, not _every _second of _every _event since the Shodai's founding of the village! Reading foot-thick text books all day every day isn't going to prepare us for our active duties!" Naruto glared slightly at Iruka. "I say there should be more practical training and active ninja protocol review, and less, well, you know!" He gestured emphatically.

Iruka gave a deep sigh of exasperation.

"Good, reliable information is crucial to a ninja's work. I always found the text book studies very interesting and useful myself back when I was a student." Iruka jutted his chin.

"Interesting!?" Naruto gaped at his sensei as if he had gone numb in the skull. "Well fine! If you find those text books so interesting, I guess you won't want the book I went to so much trouble to get for you!" Naruto crossed his arms, and turned up his nose in a huff.

"Eh? What book?" Iruka blinked in sudden confusion.

"**Give it to him anyway, just to get rid of it.**" Kyaena shrugged.

Naruto reached into his ninkit, and after a second, pulled out a slightly familiar orange book and slapped it down on the table. Iruka and Sarutobi both gave a start.

"Naruto! What are you doing with something like this!?" Iruka was trying to sound scolding, but he and the older shinobi awkwardly tried to hide their slight embarrassment.

"I told you. I got it for you. I recalled that you were reading one of these the other day when I had my written re-exam, and then when I saw Kakashi reading this, and he made a comment on whether you had this edition or not-" Naruto's explained, then Sarutobi spoke up.

"Wait a minute, this is _Kakashi's _book?" The Hokage asked with absolute seriousness. "How did you-"

"I just grabbed it when I took the bells off him." Naruto shrugged. "Consider it his consequential punishment for not taking me seriously, where, if it had been a real mission, it could have gotten him killed." Naruto smirked at his paraphrasing of what Kakashi had tried to do to him with the lunch punishment.

Even as Iruka blinked in surprise, and leaned forward 'innocently' to check the title of the book, Sarutobi felt like someone had dropped the Hokage mountain on his head.

'_This is... I can't believe it! The kunoichi in the village have tried for years to get Kakashi's nose out of that book, but with no success! He never would have given it up on his own, which means, the only way Naruto could have gotten it, and the bells, is if Naruto really __**did **__incapacitate him! A genin, taking down a jounin!_' Sarutobi's face turned to resolve. '_Well, that's decided it._'

"You can do whatever you want with this. I'm not going to keep it." Naruto said with a shrug.

Iruka started to reach for the book, but Sarutobi beat him to it, giving the chunin a slight smirk as he placed the book into one of his robe pockets.

"Ah, ok, so, Naruto, I guess I'll be seeing you when classes start again. If you want to help with the acad-" Iruka paused when Sarutobi waved him off.

"That won't be necessary, Iruka." Sarutobi said as he turned a smile to Naruto. "Naruto, make sure you get cleaned up and get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow, report to my office at nine AM, with your gear, to meet your new sensei."

Iruka and Naruto stared at the old man.

"**Say what?**" Kyaena sputtered slightly with wide eyes.

"What?" Naruto blinked, not quite sure what he had just heard. "But I-"

"Naruto, I had truly hoped you would get along with your team, and it is the outcome I would have preferred. But since that has not worked out, there is another option that is available." Sarutobi finally pulled a match out of his pocket and lit his pipe.

"Another... option...?" Naruto's eye twitched. "Mizuki, the jerk, said the same thing when he tricked me. Another _option _to graduate." He growled slightly as his eyes narrowed. "Are you-"

"I'm sorry you've had difficulties, Naruto, but I'm serious. Like I said, it would have been nice for you to be part of a team, but the failed outcome of that is not the end of things. Mizuki interfered with your time at the academy. By all estimates, you should have graduated two years ago." Sarutobi gave a puff, and was satisfied that both Naruto and Iruka were listening intently. "Sometimes, under certain circumstances, it is acceptable for a lone graduate genin to be placed as, I suppose 'apprentice' is a suitable term, to a jounin. I've decided you can utilize this arrangement."

"Wait a minute," Naruto frowned slightly in confusion and further suspicion, "I haven't heard of this before."

"That's because it doesn't happen often. Understand, Naruto, that the reason we assign three genin to a jounin on a squad normally, is not only to have a four man squad that is capable of self-dependency, but also, to minimize how many of our jounin, or chunin for that matter, are occupied with the duties of being a squad sensei." Sarutobi explained calmly. "jounin can't go on higher ranked missions if it would place new genin in danger."

"Ok, I think I can understand that," Naruto nodded carefully, "But why am I suddenly getting special treatment? A personal sensei sounds like something that you'd give to... Sasuke." Naruto grimaced slightly at the admission.

"**Rotten-to-the-core brat.**" Kyaena muttered under her breath.

"As I said, it's because of Mizuki and others that have sabotaged your training and unjustly held you back. Yet despite that, your skills are more than impressive for any genin, and you did it all on your own. It is my decision that you are more than ready to take on active duties." Sarutobi smiled at the dumbstruck boy.

"It... It was K-Kyaena-chan that h-helped me..." Naruto mumbled out numbly, making Kyaena purr slightly at the praise.

"Speaking of which, you really should ask her if she's interested in teaching at the academy." Iruka interjected with significant interest. "I mean, really, if she could do wonders like that for you, imagine what she could do for our _serious _students." Iruka snickered teasingly.

"Hardy-har-har, scar-face." Naruto shot back with a grumble. "But no, she's made it clear in the past that she won't teach anyone else but me. And besides, even if she was willing, she couldn't get the same results with others because her attention would be split, unlike the singular focus she has just with me." He shrugged, and Iruka shrugged in return.

"Well, still, we would appreciate it if you would ask her again." Sarutobi nodded. "After all, now that you're going to have a real sensei, she would have some free time. Perhaps just to visit the academy as a guest instructor from time to time." The Hokage suggested hopefully. '_And maybe I could finally get a chance to meet her in person._' He thought to himself.

"I'll ask, but don't hold your breath. She can be pretty stubborn. And just because I'll be working with someone else, it doesn't mean she can't still teach me between missions." Naruto tried to hide a smirk as Kyaena huffed. Then Naruto's face became serious again. "Old-Man, are you sure about this new sensei? How can you be sure he won't dump me like everyone else?"

"You don't have to worry this time, Naruto." Sarutobi shook his head. "She isn't going to be like Kakashi. He had a choice to pass or fail a squad, but this time, it's an order. You are a genin, and that's the fact."

"**She? A kunoichi?**" Kyaena sat up straight with wide eyes and twitchy ears. "**Well, this is getting interesting!**" She smirked.

'_Please don't start._' Naruto tried not to react to his friend's sudden interest.

"But Naruto, you should be aware, there are both advantages, _and _disadvantages to this arrangement." Sarutobi held up a warning hand. "An advantage, is that with only you to look after instead of three, your sensei will be able to focus on your training and make sure whatever problems you have are addressed, which should allow your skills to increase at a far greater pace than those of most squads. A disadvantage, is that because of it, you'll be _expected _to progress at a faster rate, with any failures or setbacks being frowned upon more severely." The Hokage explained slowly, making sure that Naruto was listening. "An advantage, is that you will be focusing more on personal training, and will not be involved in some of the more minor mission duties that squads are required to perform. A disadvantage, is that when you and your sensei _are _assigned a mission, it will most likely be more serious and dangerous than normal, and you will not be able to goof around like you have before." Sarutobi paused for a moment. "And there's one more thing. Not being on a full squad means that your advancement will work a little differently. You wouldn't be able to enter the chunin exams. They're held twice a year-"

"Yeah, I know about them." Naruto nodded. Sarutobi nodded back.

"Right. It means that your advancement and promotion will rest entirely on your sensei's opinion and evaluation, which she will report directly to me, and I am the one who will decide. Do you understand all this?" Sarutobi asked. Naruto nodded.

"Yes. Individual sensei is both a privilege and a pain, and I'll be expected to put up or shut up." Naruto grinned wide.

"Well, I don't know if I would have put it that way..." Sarutobi coughed slightly.

"Just do your best, Naruto. That's all we want." Iruka nodded in support. Naruto smiled at both men.

"**Elements.**" Kyaena prompted gently. Naruto blinked once, then gave a start.

"Oh! That's right!" Naruto turned to Iruka. "As long as I'm going to be expected to excel, I wanted to ask you something. I was talking to Kyaena-chan earlier about what we think should be my next focus in my training."

"Oh really? And what did you come up with?" Iruka leaned forward with interest, and even the Hokage raised a curious eyebrow.

"Well, you see, during Kakashi's test, Sasuke thought he would try to act all tough by showing off his Fireball Jutsu. I don't know what he was trying to prove, but it got Kyaena-chan and myself thinking about chakra elemental affinities..." Naruto couldn't help but smile at the surprised looks shot his way.

* * *

Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke entered into the front hall of the academy, both shinobi looking aggravated, the kunoichi looking worried.

'_I don't understand._' Sakura kept looking back and forth between her male companions. '_The longer this goes on, the less sense everything makes. Why did Naruto leave when he was the one who got the bells? Why did he leave if the exam wasn't over? Did he not know? Why is Kakashi-sensei being so evasive? Did Naruto do something wrong? Did we do something wrong? Why is Sasuke-kun so upset over this?_' She couldn't decide what to ask out loud, and every time she did speak, it seemed like the other two were ignoring her.

"Sensei, why won't you tell us? It's not that hard a question!" Sasuke was still pestering Kakashi.

"I told you, we'll discuss everything when we find Naruto, and not before." Kakashi said over his shoulder. Although his tone was still that sorta-bored-but-you-can't-tell thing, he was getting more tense as the minutes ticked by. '_I'm screwed. That's all there is to it. I'm a dead man walking and don't know it yet. First Hokage-sama is going to chew me out, then __**she's **__going to chew me up and spit me out, then stomp on me for a while, dump some acid on me..._' He thought miserably. '_And I still cannot believe Naruto actually took my book! My poor precious..._' A single tear appeared in the corner his visible eye.

"Um, Sensei," Sakura said hesitantly, "Maybe we should ask someone if they've seen Naruto? It might speed things up a bit." She pointed over to a man working behind a desk.

Kakashi nodded and headed over as Sasuke turned a frowning glare on Sakura.

"And here all this time I thought it was the dope who liked you. You're being awful concerned about that loser." The dark boy smirked. But it wasn't a very nice smirk...

"He's not... I don't... It's nothing! It's just that he's supposed to be our teammate, right? You do want to pass this exam to become a genin, don't you?" Sakura turned her face away in dismissal, not willing to risk if she was blushing or not. '_This is crazy. I don't care about Naruto like that. But he did try to help us, several times. And he's the one who got the bells... Damn it, now __**I**__ want to know how he did it!_' She thought in aggravation.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that." Sasuke growled with narrow eyes.

As Sakura stammered out an apology, Kakashi walked up to the receptionist's desk. The man looked up from his paper work with a smile.

"Kakashi! This is a surprise! We don't normally see you around here." The man commented. "What can I do for you?"

Kakashi eyed the man for a brief second.

"I'm looking for Naruto Uzumaki. I'm fairly certain he's here in the academy. Have you seen him?" Kakashi asked. The man instantly scowled.

"Oh, he's here alright." He snarled. "And I thought we were finally rid of that filthy de-"

_**Clank-Clink-Clink**_

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Kakashi eye-smiled as he reached across the desk to pick up the kunai he 'accidentally' dropped. He leaned in a little closer and whispered. "Break the law, and I'll break your neck."

Now, while the man was more than used to working around ninja, it was quite another thing to be threatened by one. Let alone threatened by THE infamous 'Copy Ninja'. So after he managed to get his heart out of his throat and back down into his chest where it could do it's job in returning color to his paper white face, he raised a shaking hand to point.

"H-h-h-he was l-looking f-f-for Iru-Iru-Iruka. S-second floor c-conference room, w-with H-H-Hokage-s-sama." The now wreck of a man stuttered out.

"Thank you!" Kakashi eye-smiled again as he straightened up. He motioned to his two students. "Let's go. Second floor."

As they walked towards the stairs, Sasuke looked back to look at the terrified man.

'_What was that about? The man looks like he's about to drop dead with fright. Why would Kakashi-sensei threaten him? And what was the man going to say?_' Sasuke pondered at the strangeness of the day so far, and the numerous irritations.

As they were climbing the steps, Sakura cleared her throat.

"Uh, Kakashi-sensei, that man... He said that Naruto was with... Hokage-sama?" She asked nervously.

"Yes he did. I trust the two of you will behave yourselves while I try to straighten this matter out, right?" Kakashi glanced back at the two with a raised eyebrow.

"Definitely! Don't worry!" Sakura nodded franticly as Sasuke gave a half-shrug.

"Whatever." The Uchiha muttered.

The trio reached the second floor and walked down the halls as Kakashi looked in windows and doors, and doors with windows. He came to a door with a small square window in it, and he peered in to see Naruto, Iruka and Sarutobi around a table. The Hokage was seated, watching as Iruka and Naruto were standing, with Iruka saying something to Naruto. Kakashi started to reach for the door knob to open it, but paused when he saw Iruka pull what looked like a small square of parchment paper out of his vest and hand it to Naruto. Kakashi's eye widened.

'_No way, it can't be, they're not..._' Kakashi thought in total surprise. He was getting more surprises this day than he had in quite a long time.

Kakashi watched as Iruka was still speaking to Naruto, with Naruto nodding here and there. Then Naruto held up the paper, seeming to concentrate, and the paper suddenly burst into shreds like a confetti popper, then all the pieces went up in a bright flare of flame, leaving nothing, not even ash behind. Naruto and Iruka jumped slightly at the sudden burst.

If not for his mask, Kakashi's jaw would have crashed through the floor.

"Sensei, what is it? Is Naruto in there?" Sakura asked, since Kakashi hadn't moved from looking in the door window.

"Uh, yeah." Kakashi shook his head slightly to clear his shock. '_Two!? Naruto already has two element affinities!? And from the looks of it, they're extremely strong as well! This is just insane!_' He thought in near disbelief as he opened the door. The other two followed him in as they approached, and they caught the tail end of a comment from Iruka.

"...-intensity indication, and I don't think I've ever seen a reaction like that." Iruka was saying to Naruto.

"But, the tearing, you said that it-" Naruto was pondering.

"Naruto!" Kakashi called as he approached. The three conferring ninja paused to look over at him. As soon as Naruto realized who had entered the room, he side stepped twice, until Iruka was between him and Kakashi.

Kakashi felt a twinge in his heart at Naruto's behavior.

"Kakashi, why are you here?" Sarutobi frowned in the jounin's direction.

"Excuse me, Hokage-sama, but I came to collect Naruto. He ran off before we had finished our exam this morning." Kakashi gave a small bow to the seated Hokage.

"Liar! Save yourself the embarrassment, and get lost jack-hole!" Naruto spat angrily from behind Iruka.

Sakura would have yelled at Naruto, but being in the Hokage's presence effectively tied her tongue in a knot. So she settled for glaring at him as viciously as she could.

"Naruto, I'm not sure why you're angry, but we weren't finished. You need to come with us." Kakashi said carefully.

"I think he's fine right here." Iruka declared with a grim set jaw. '_I'm not going to let you berate Naruto because of your irrational hatred!_' He determined to himself.

"Naruto told us the exam _was _over. He was telling us about what happened, and what you were doing." Sarutobi commented. Kakashi swallowed a lump.

'_I'm sooooo dead._' Kakashi thought. "Excuse me Hokage-sama, but things aren't what you think."

"You gave them the bell test, did you not?" Sarutobi straightened up in his chair.

"... Yes, I did." Kakashi answered.

"A test that couldn't be passed! You made it impossible!" Naruto pointed accusingly.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed, trying to edge around to talk to him without drawing attention to herself. "You need to calm down! You're going to get us in trouble!"

"Cyclops here is the one in trouble!" Naruto snapped.

"Save your breath Sakura." Sasuke shrugged while his arms were crossed. "He's just pissed that he wound up the dead-last again. Now he's trying to blame someone else for his _short_comings." The Uchiha smirked as Naruto's eye twitched.

"**This coming from a walking fowl's ass?**" Kyaena growled, her instincts telling her to pounce on the emo, but couldn't, due to the cage.

"Keep it up emo-face, and I'll rip your kneecaps off! Then we'll see who comes up short!" Naruto growled.

"My kneecaps? Oh yeah, I guess you can't reach any higher than that, can you?" Sasuke shot back with satisfaction.

"That's enough you three." Sarutobi spoke normally, but his word is law in the village of Konoha and shut up the genin instantly, making Sakura pale slightly. He looked at Kakashi. "You should have known better than to give these particular three the bell test, especially since Iruka and myself have personally been advising Naruto about the exam procedures these past several days. If you conducted it the way I believe you did, I don't blame Naruto for being angry in the slightest." The aged ninja master frowned in the most minute degree.

'_So that's why Naruto was getting so upset over everything. He knew I was lying, and thought I was trying to... Ah, hell._' Kakashi sighed to himself as he cast a silent glance at Naruto.

'_What? Naruto has been speaking to the Hokage, personally, about the exam? Why?_' Sasuke's previous smirk disappeared to become his usual unreadable blank expression. "So he's angry because he failed. I don't see what the big deal is." He commented coldly.

"Reality check Duck-Butt! You failed too you know!" Naruto huffed.

"No I didn't." Sasuke frowned. "I had a bell by noon. You didn't. You're the one who failed."

"First, you only had a bell because I gave it to you. And second-" Naruto held up a hand, counting one finger then a second.

"Naruto," Kakashi interjected nervously, "I think-"

"Yeah Kakashi, go ahead, you tell them!" Naruto shouted. "See just how deep you can dig this hole you're in!"

"Iruka." Sarutobi gestured to the fuming blonde.

"Naruto, why don't you just sit down for a moment?" Iruka guided Naruto to one of the empty chairs at the table.

"It was a team test, remember!?" Naruto yelled at his fellow youths. "I tried to tell you that before! Doesn't that tell you ANYTHING!?"

"Naruto was trying to tell us about the test yesterday." Sakura spoke up tentatively. "I... Well, I wasn't listening very well." She admitted sheepishly.

"Naruto, things wouldn't have turned out like this if you hadn't run off so impatiently!" Kakashi snapped with growing irritation.

"Bull! You didn't want us to pass! It was obvious! That exam was a total crock!" Naruto shouted back. "You tried to make it so only two of us could pass! But the WHOLE TEAM has to pass as a group, or not at all! If you fail one of us, you fail all of us, AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE SPINE TO ADMIT IT!"

"I was conducting the exam as I saw fit. My methods-" Kakashi tried to come back.

"You had genin trying to fight a jounin!" Naruto threw his hands up. "It's a clear-cut case of unrealistic expectations! You failed us on purpose, and now you're trying to cover your own ass!"

"Is that true?" Sakura turned to Kakashi with a worried expression.

"A squad must be passed as an entire team before it will be put into active duty." Sarutobi said off-handedly.

"What!?" Sasuke spun to face Kakashi himself. "You mean I can't take active duty unless this wothless nobody passes as well!?"

"Sasuke, don't refer to Naruto like that!" Iruka scolded in a momentary 'teacher moment'.

"I don't understand!" Sakura whined with tears starting to well up. "Why wouldn't you want us to pass? Is there something wrong with us?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with you, Sakura-san." Naruto shook his head. "It's this sensory deficient porn sniffer that's the problem. We were seriously jypted in the sensei department, and weren't even given a proper test!"

"Alright, alright!" Kakashi gave a exaggerated sigh. "If that's what it'll take to straighten this all out, I'll allow you all to take a second test!"

"_Allow _us to...?" Naruto glared at Kakashi with enough intensity to make the jounin blanche slightly.

"Wait a minute Naruto!" Sakura interjected, sensing further trouble brewing. "This is reasonable, right? We'll just re-do the whole thing, and I'm sure we'll pass!"

"Sakura-san," Naruto leveled a serious look at her, "He lied about the teams, he lied about the test, hell, even when I gave you the bells so you could pass according to _his rules_, we all still fail because he's not doing his job the way he was supposed to." Naruto turned to frown at Kakashi. "And guess what. You failed my test too, you know." At Kakashi's surprised and confused blink, Naruto continued. "After Mizuki, which I'm sure you know of by now, I decided I wouldn't be so blindly trusting of a new sensei. Just in case, you know? I wanted to make sure you had a decent attitude, or at least that you didn't have certain bad attitude qualities."

"Your not making any sense. What are you talking about with Mizuki-sensei?" Sasuke asked, slightly interested as Kakashi's posture slumped by a inch.

"**Don't tell him. If that brat Uchiha finds out you had access to an advanced scroll of high tecniques, he won't leave you alone until you tell him everything we read in it.**" Kyaena warned as her tails twitched.

"Not sure I'm supposed to talk about it." Naruto glanced at Sarutobi, who slightly shook his head. "The point is, Kakashi, is that you blew it! I don't trust you now! I refuse to work with someone who thinks it's ok to pit their own team members against each other! No matter what the circumstances!"

"But Naruto, it was only a test-" Sakura tried to say, until Naruto glared at her.

"Oh really? Then what would you have done if Kakashi told Sasuke that the only way he would pass is if he beat you up? Would you still be so eager to accept the word of a sensei who cares nothing for your safety?" He snapped harshly, making Sakura go wide-eyed.

"S-Sauke-kun would never-" She stammered out.

"Yes I would. To follow orders, and complete the mission." Sasuke stated bluntly. "We are to be ninja. If we cannot do what we are told, we are nothing." He shrugged.

Naruto whirled on the dark haired boy as tears began to trickle out of Sakura's eyes.

"Oh yeah, Duck-butt!?" The blond hissed. "And what if you became a genin, only to be told that you'd spend your entire career tutoring kunoichi in the academy!?" Naruto was too serious to laugh at Sasuke's horrified expression, but Kyaena had no such restriction as she started giggling like crazy. "Would you really want to follow orders then? No hard training, no leaving the village for missions, and whoever you were talking about killing yesterday would live out his days, laughing at your pathetic excuse for a life!" Naruto jumped back as Sasuke tried to lunge for him, only to be caught by the shirt by Iruka.

"Damn you Naruto! You don't know anything!" Sasuke shouted.

"Stop it Sasuke! Don't forget your in Hokage-sama's presence!" Iruka scolded, casting a glance at the aged leader.

Sarutobi was still silent, allowing things to play out before him.

'_It seems that these three may not be meant to be teammates after all. Although it is strange, that Naruto seems to already know them so well as to be able to know how to change their minds about something. That could indicate that they could still learn to cooperate._' Sarutobi mused, as Kakashi was starting to wonder if there was any way to salvage the situation.

'_What do I do if they don't... This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen. This was supposed to be my chance to..._' Kakashi tried to keep his mind from wandering to unpleasant memories.

"I know enough!" Naruto shot back at Sasuke. "I know that we're people, not mindless puppets!" He paused for a moment before continuing. "Tell me Sasuke, did your parents force you into becoming a ninja?"

Sasuke was so shocked at Naruto's question, he actually went limp in Iruka's grasp.

"Wh-what?" He blinked.

"Were you forced to train to be a ninja? Or was it your choice?" Naruto asked again.

"Are you a total neanderthall!? Of course it was my choice!" Sasuke tensed up again.

"Naruto, what are you trying-" Iruka stopped when Naruto held up a halting hand.

"So it was your choice." Naruto continued. "You chose to try to become a ninja for what ever reason it was that inspired you. A reason that you believe is important enough to risk your life for. That is the reason you're a ninja. Your choice. Your free will. So no matter what kind of duties we're assigned, no matter what orders we're given, you have to always remember that we're here because it's our choice. We don't stop being who we are when we put on those Hitai-ate. Would you want to follow a sensei who has no regard for your thoughts or opinion? Someone who considers you just a mindless drone with no right to have your own goals or ambitions?" Naruto's voice had remained solid during his speech, and now he and Sasuke were just standing, staring at each other.

"**You really shouldn't try so hard to help him. He's not worth it.**" Kyaena muttered in a near whisper. '_**Choices... If he only knew... I don't care what that boy has gone through, he's still an Uchiha. Their cursed blood will never be worth anything... Never again...**_' She stared down at her paws.

"Naruto, you do realize you're destroying any chance the three of you have to become a genin, don't you?" Kakashi said in a stern voice.

Iruka was about to shout out, but stopped from a subtle hand signal from Sarutobi that meant 'wait'.

"Only the chances with you, Kakashi! Just because you don't want us doesn't mean we're going to give up! Sasuke is way to narrow minded to give up so easily, and Sakura-san is smart enough to adapt with any team she could be placed with next time! And as for me..." Naruto smirked, "I'm interested in advancing my skill until I'm strong enough to protect this village, as my parents did. I doubt that I'll get any stronger being taught by a jounin that I took down so easily. You do realize I could have killed you earlier if I had wanted to, right?" Naruto crossed his arms and jutted his chin.

Sarutobi, Iruka, Sakura and Sasuke all turned wide-eyed looks of curiosity to Kakashi, who was just silently standing calmly, looking at Naruto.

"Are you going to take the offer of a new test, or not?" Kakashi asked.

"Not going to happen. Not with you." Naruto frowned.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi looked at the Uchiha boy.

"You're a goof-ball. You weren't taking things seriously before. Making jokes and acting like we were nothing. I can't believe I thought you were strong, if this dead-last could beat you without even a scar for his effort. I'm not interested." Sasuke turned away to look out the open balcony.

"Sakura?" Kakashi turned to the pink haired kunoichi.

She hesitated, looking at everyone else, but they just waited for her to speak.

"I... I'm sorry... You lied to our faces about our exam once already, when we only wanted to do our best. Our safety depends on your honesty with us, and if we can't trust what you tell us, we'll be in big trouble. I can't believe I'm saying this... but I agree with Naruto on this." Sakura fidgeted, not able to look at Kakashi, and very self-conscious of speaking to a jounin in such a manner, in front of her own academy teacher, AND the Hokage.

"So that's it, is it? You really refuse? You all think that?" Kakashi drew himself up as he glared at the three. "No changing your mind?"

"No." The three youths said simultaneously, giving each other slightly surprised looks.

"And what about next time? What if you three are set as a team again?" Kakashi demanded in a harsher tone.

"We're not the problem. As long as we get a serious sensei, we'll be fine... Even with the ramen-freak on our squad." Sasuke sniffed lightly as if in distaste.

"Yeah, I'm sure the Duck-butt will get his skills up to an acceptable level eventually." Naruto scoffed as if in condescending.

"And I'll make sure that proper manners are drilled into their heads if it kills me!" Sakura declared with an eye twitching at the two boys.

"Oh really!?" Kakashi growled out, making the three flinch. "In that case, I have only one thing left to say to you!" He lunged forward, getting his face up in theirs. They all waited for a moment, when Kakashi's glare suddenly turned into an eye-smile. "You pass."

Sarutobi and Iruka sweat-dropped as the three students blinked in total confusion.

"What was that?" Sakura asked.

"You... Pass." Kakashi repeated cheerfully.

"You're kidding." Sasuke looked on in questionable disbelief.

"Not at all!" Kakashi straightened up, seeming to letting out a crick in his back as he let out what sounded like a relieved sigh. "I'll admit, things didn't go quite the way I expected them to, but ultimately, the message sank in!"

"What message? What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked with slight frown, hating to not know about things.

As Sasuke and Sakura were still staring at Kakashi, they didn't notice Naruto's slight sigh as he sat down in his chair, shaking his head slowly in a pitying manner.

'_I don't believe this. He really expects to be able to do what he did, then just let this slide by? He's got to be the stupidest so-called 'elite'__ I've ever met... except for Duck-butt, of course._' Naruto thought disappointedly.

"**Well, he has no one to blame but himself.**" Kyaena shrugged, not caring about the silvery haired man in the slightest.

"The point of the whole test!" Kakashi explained, taking note of Naruto's actions. "It was about the team the whole time, just as Naruto was saying. I have to say, I was a little worried he'd mess up all my fun since he knew already, but thankfully, my efforts weren't wasted after all!"

"Sensei, you're not making any sense!" Sakura said, blinking a bit rapidly.

"I had set up the test to deliberately try to get you to turn on each other. I had to see if you three would work together even in circumstances that other wise would make it illogical or impossible to do so." Kakashi wagged a finger at them. "At first, it seemed things were off to a rocky start, since you didn't seem to have any real coherent plan. But Naruto's aggressive frontal assault allowed you other two to watch my movements and wait for openings." Kakashi began to explain, more for Sarutobi's and Iruka's sake than the three kids.

'_Is he... for real?_' Naruto's eye twitched as Kyaena groaned, trying to plug-and-or-cover her ears.

"When Naruto's assault and traps seemed to be wearing out, then Sakura joined in to try to keep me guessing. So I tried to break you up again by knocking Naruto away." Kakashi paused for a moment, making Naruto raise an eyebrow.

"What, not going to elaborate on that?" Naruto huffed mockingly. Kakashi noticed as Sarutobi raised one eyebrow a fraction, and the masked jounin had to fight the urge to swallow a lump.

"So while my attention was on Naruto and Sakura in front of me, Sasuke tried to attack my back. Then Naruto tried a rather daring Shadow Clone assault, which almost worked, but didn't, resulting in Naruto getting tied to a tree." Kakashi tsked slightly.

'_Shadow Clones? That's what it was? I need to look into that..._' Sasuke thought to himself.

"And that's where things seemed to fall apart a bit. Instead of continuing to help Naruto, Sakura went off to get Sasuke. By splitting up, it allowed me to take you out one by one. A rather poor showing at that." Kakashi shrugged, making Sasuke's eyes narrow slightly. "By the time the alarm went off, Naruto had already left. Now, I admit, I certainly didn't see that part coming."

"Whoa, hold it. Aren't you forgetting something?" Sasuke asked with a halting hand.

"Eh? What did I forget?" Kakashi blinked in feigned confusion.

"How-did-Naruto-get-the-bells!?" Sasuke demanded, in a true display of Uchiha maturity... ... yeah right.

Naruto gave a sniggle.

"It was easy. I just-" He smirked at Kakashi, who coughed loudly.

"AHEM! Uh, that doesn't really matter right now. What matters is that Naruto willingly gave the bells to his teammates." Kakashi looked at the blonde. "If you had just waited, that act alone would have passed the team."

"Well, I guess we'll never know." Naruto scowled back at the infamous ninja. Kakashi frowned behind his mask, not liking how Naruto was still acting.

"Anyway, when three genin can agree to stick up against any jounin, let alone their sensei, that's more than enough team spirit as far as I'm concerned!" Kakashi finished with an eye-smile.

"Isn't that wonderful." Naruto braced his elbows on the table as he put his chin in his hands. "I'm still not going to work with you."

Everyone turned surprised looks at the boy, with Sarutobi trying not to sigh out loud.

'_A genin making a jounin work to pass **his **test to get a squad together. This has to be a first. But now I have a new problem._' Sarutobi thought with amusement as well as a slight headache of aggravation.

"Wait a minute Naruto, what are you saying?" Sakura asked with a startled look. A moment ago she had been climbing the ladder of elation when it seemed that the team had passed after all, but Naruto's words had brought that to a halt.

"Uh, Naruto," Kakashi started slowly, beginning to realize just how deep he had dug himself, "I'm sorry if I came across as a little harsh earlier, but I was just acting. I couldn't go too easy on the group, or there wouldn't have been any point to the test."

"You're a jounin. Supposedly the elite in skill and experience of ninja in the village. Right?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at the man, not bothering to move from the table.

"Yes, that's right." Kakashi nodded, wondering what Naruto had planned.

"So tell me, if your so damn skilled and precise, how is it I suffered a pair of broken ribs during your 'test'? Does that mean you deliberately tried to cripple me?" Naruto snapped, anger beginning to creep back into his voice. "Somehow I doubt that you're allowed to inflict that kind of bodily harm on your students."

"WHAT!?" Iruka shrieked. Yes, shrieked. An odd sound coming from the scarred chunin. "Naruto, are you alright!? Wait, of course you're alright or else you wouldn't be sitting here. What happened!?" Iruka nearly snarled at Kakashi.

"Calm down Iruka. I'm sure Kakashi was just about to explain himself." Sarutobi said with a now quite noticeable scowl. Kakashi suddenly felt awfully cold in the area of his spine.

"That was an... accident." The moment the words left his mouth, Kakashi knew his hole had just sunk a few feet deeper.

"Oh, an accident! Well, if you could have an 'accident' with me, that means you could also have an 'accident' with Sasuke or Sakura-san! And they can't handle _beatings _the same way I can!" Naruto's hiss of the word 'beatings' made the three adults in the room flinch inwardly.

"Don't speak for me, loser." Sasuke scowled harshly at Naruto. "You couldn't stand a tenth of what I've been thr-" Sasuke's jaw snapped shut on reflex when Naruto shot a look at him with one second's worth of killer intent. Quick enough to startle him, and more than enough to silence him.

"Naruto, there's always risk-" Kakashi started to say, but Naruto jumped to his feet.

"Don't give me that crap! I know it's dangerous being a ninja! I know it's risky to go out on missions and face enemies! I accept that! But I won't accept it from you!" Naruto quickly reached into his ninkit and pulled out a thin scroll, rolling it across the table to Sarutobi.

"What's that?" Iruka asked as Sarutobi unrolled the scroll and looked it over.

After a moment, Sarutobi looked over the edge of the scroll at Kakashi.

"It would seem that any attempt you may make to chastise Naruto is irrelevant." Sarutobi remarked. "You signed this liability release regarding the exam."

"I..." Kakashi was about to deny it, but then he reached into his ninkit and pulled out an identical looking scroll, and unrolled it.

-Kakashi-  
If you're reading this, that means that you tried to betray me you gutless bastard.  
You tried to steal the liability scroll, even though you already signed it.  
I switched scrolls, so by now, you're probably in major trouble with Old-Man-Hokage.  
All I wanted to do was to protect myself and my teammates, and you were unwilling to even give me that.  
You don't deserve to be a sensei, Dandruff-duster.  
I would say good luck... but you don't even deserve that, Jack-hole.  
-Uzumaki-

Kakashi swallowed a lump as he slowly rolled the scroll back up and put it away. The others, save Naruto, were looking at him curiously, wondering what he had read on the scroll. Kakashi was silent for several long moments before turning a neutral look to Naruto.

"If you won't be on the team, there can't be a team. You can't be a ninja. Is that what you want, Naruto?" The masked jounin asked in a worried tone.

"Actually, I've already seen to his situation." Sarutobi said, placing the scroll he held into a pocket. "When he showed up and told me what was going on, I decided to give him SAS."

"What!?" Kakashi gasped.

"What's SAS?" Sakura asked curiously.

"It's an acronym not commonly used." Iruka explained, more than a little surprised himself. "It means, Singularly Acclimated Sensei. It's the term used for when a sensei is assigned only one student, usually in very unusual circumstances."

"You mean a _private _sensei?" Sasuke nearly choked. '_What the hell!? Why would Hokage-sama offer Uzumaki such an opportunity!? Why the hell is he getting-, wait, if he got one, maybe..._' He thought in anticipation

"**That's a good thing, as long as the kunoichi doesn't get _too _private with you, _yet_.**" Kyaena chimed in, flipping her tails back and forth. "**I'll have to judge her when we see her.**"

'_We'll talk about that later._' Naruto replied quickly. "Well, since you obviously aren't up to the job, I figured there was no point wasting time complaining about it. I'll be getting on with my training, starting tomorrow." Naruto addressed to Kakashi, deciding to just ignore Sasuke.

"What about the others, Naruto?" Kakashi asked, realizing that he had one more chance, but he felt sick to his stomach to have to resort to it. '_But from what I've seen of Naruto's personality, if I'm right..._'

"What? I'm sure they'll be fine with their senseis." Naruto shrugged.

"Naruto..." Sarutobi sighed sadly, causing the blonde to blink at him. "The others will not be given SAS."

Sakura paled slightly, and Sasuke went stiff as he tried to contain his outrage.

"...What?" Naruto frowned in confusion. "But, they're plenty good enough! They... uh..." He thought furiously for a response.

"Their situation is different than yours, Naruto." Sarutobi regretfully explained. "They will continue training under chunin supervision at the academy until the next year team placements."

"Unless, of course, you agree to stay with the team, in which case they pass right now." Kakashi tried to sound casual, but his gut was twisting on itself.

"**No, Naru-kun!**" Kyaena ordered. "**Forget them, and just go with your SAS.**" She tried to sound irrefutable, but considering what she was feeling going on inside him, she wasn't sure he was listening.

Naruto looked back and forth between Sarutobi, Kakashi, and Sasuke and Sakura. Iruka gave a nasty glare at Kakashi behind the three students, which the elite ninja noticed.

'_Asshole. He's deliberately forcing Naruto into a no-win situation, just so he can have his way. He really doesn't deserve to be a team sensei._' Iruka's eye twitched.

'_Sorry Iruka, but I'm sure you'll realize eventually that this is best. You're just an academy instructor. You're out of touch with what it's really like out there. I'm the best possible choice, especially for these particular three._' Kakashi thought, knowing he'd probably have to endure an earful from Iruka later.

Sasuke raised a slightly confused eyebrow at Naruto.

'_The loser has a chance to ditch us and get advanced training on his own, and he's hesitating? I'd take the chance in an instant._' Sasuke wondered.

Sakura was having a different reaction.

'_W-wait... What's Naruto doing? Why is he... Is he still trying to..._' She didn't notice the slight warmth starting to brush her cheeks.

"Well, uh... if..." Naruto stammered slightly, trying to think straight over the tension that had. '_Damn it! This isn't right! Just because the cyclops is a tail-hunter, the other two shouldn't be hindered, no matter how much a jerk Sasuke is!_' He fumed, then gave a start. "Wait, if you're agreeing that Kakashi isn't the best sensei, what about just taking us three and assigning my SAS jounin as the sensei to the team? That would work, right?" He turned a hopeful look to Sarutobi.

As Sarutobi leaned back in his chair, puffing on his pipe in consideration, Sakura's eyes widened.

'_Wait, if Naruto goes off on his own with his SAS, he gets trained but we have to stay in the academy for another year._' She thought as her heart was starting to pound harder in her chest. '_But if he stays, we all pass, but... it's clear that our team doesn't really work so well, and Kakashi-sensei seems to have something personal with Naruto. He'll likely have a lot of trouble dealing with this, but he's still trying to get us to pass, even when he could leave us!_' She didn't realize that the corners of her mouth were starting to twitch upwards.

"**Naruto-kun, stop it! Don't jeopardize your future for those losers! They'll be nothing but a hindrance, and you don't owe them anything!**" Kyaena shouted angrily.

Sarutobi looked at the orange genin in front of him.

"Naruto, I'm afraid what you propose can't be done." Sarutobi sighed, knowing that it was not what the boy wanted to hear.

"Why not!?" Naruto shot back impatiently.

"I know you won't accept this as an answer, but to be blunt, no one would allow it to happen." Sarutobi shook his head.

"WHHAAAT!?" Naruto rushed over and got right in the old man's face. "What kind of pathetic nonsense reason is that!?"

Sasuke, Sakura and Iruka blinked in disbelief that the Hokage would give such a seemingly ridiculous excuse. Kakashi had a fairly good idea what he meant, but wasn't about to voice it.

"There are reasons I can't discuss. But Naruto, I'm giving you the choice. Which do you want? Do you want to stay with this group, or take the option of the SAS?" Sarutobi asked with calm seriousness.

"WHAT!?" Sasuke blurted. "You're going to let this freak decide MY career!?"

"Silence Sasuke!" Sarutobi snapped. "It's not a matter of your careers! If Naruto chooses to take his SAS, you would still be able to continue your ninja training, it will just take a little longer, that's all!" The old man had raised his voice, and it showed as Sasuke actually blanched and immediately shut up.

Naruto was feeling worse by the minute, despite Kyaena's continued attempts of reassurance.

"**See? The old man just said that the other two will be fine! You don't have to worry about them!**" The vixen pleaded urgently.

'_But... What will others think?_' Naruto stood stock still as his mind and heart warred on each other. '_Even if the other two aren't exactly in any danger, others... others will say that I abandoned them for my own interests._' Naruto cringed slightly, drawing Sakura's surprised attention. '_I'm supposed to be trying to earn the village's respect, not give them more reasons to call me scum... or worse._'

"**But Naru-kun, this time, believe it or not, the rules are in your favor! It's not like Iruka or Sarutobi will hold it against you!**" Kyaena reasoned.

'_But you can bet that Duck-butt will go around telling everyone he sees what I did if I do so._' Naruto slumped slightly, not currently aware of everyone's gaze upon him, waiting for his answer.

Kyaena thought for a few moments, giving increasing growls and hisses of anger.

"**DAMN IT! You're right! If we didn't have the audience, if it had just stayed you, Iruka and the Hokage, it wouldn't have been an issue! But Emo and Pinky will blab to everyone, and it will get you in trouble!**" The kitsune roared with outrage.

'_Then... I guess I don't have any choice..._' Naruto exhaled, seeming to deflate as he gave a Sarutobi a defeated look. "I'll... stay with the team..."

"Gee, try to sound a little less enthusiastic why don't you." Sakura huffed, trying to ignore her thumping heart. '_Ok, note to self, definitely have to be nicer to Naruto from now on._' She realized, but her other self had a parting comment. '_As long as he doesn't do stupid things anymore, like trying to ask me out! CHA!_'

"Naruto, I'm not forcing this on you." Sarutobi frowned slightly in concern over Naruto's attitude. "The situation is more than unusual enough to warrant the consideration. If you don't want-"

"Just forget it, alright!?" Naruto snapped. "Hey, Iruka, that offer of the tour of the archives still open?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

Iruka blinked, startled at the question, given the tense atmosphere.

"Um, yeah, sure." Iruka nodded, sensing that the arguments were over, and attempting to force things would only result in disaster. '_I'll just have to talk to Hokage-sama and Kakashi later. And Naruto obviously needs a little space right now._' He thought as he started for the door, with Naruto in tow.

"Uh, Naruto," Kakashi called, getting a paused glare from the blonde, "Be ready for duty the morning after tomorrow. We'll meet back at field seven... and we can finish cleaning up the rest of the traps you set." The jounin eye-smiled with a tone implying he was trying to make a joke, but Naruto just snorted.

"Don't worry about them, I'll have them gone before midnight tonight. Don't want to wait too long, or someone might accidentally get caught in them. Or do you care?" Naruto shrugged, his response making Kakashi's shoulders droop a bit.

"Hey, wait a minute." Sasuke glared. "Are you going to tell us how you got the bells or not?"

Naruto was about to tell him what to do with his bells, but then stopped.

"I'll tell you... If you buy me some ramen." Naruto smirked.

"...I don't need to know _that _badly." Sasuke's eye was twitching as a vein throbbed on his temple. '_I'll find a way to get Kakashi-sensei to tell me later._'

"**So he's a cheap chicken-ass as well as a Duck-butt.**" Kyaena growled. She was going to be in a nasty mood for a while.

"Fine. Suit yourself." Naruto shrugged. "Let's go, Iruka-sensei."

"Wait up Naruto!" Sakura trotted over. At the boy's confused look, she raise an eyebrow. "What, are you saying we can't come too? In case you've forgotten, studying is more my thing than yours."

"Well, I can't stop you." Naruto glanced at his other 'teammate'. "You coming?"

Sasuke noted the hopeful look on Sakura's face, but turned away.

"Forget it. I'm going to have to build up my loser tolerance slowly, and I'm maxed out for today." Sasuke waved them off.

Sakura was crestfallen as Naruto just shook his head.

"Well then, I'm sure you all have things to attend to." Sarutobi addressed to the group that seemed to be breaking up. "Congratulations to you all, you're now officially genin." He couldn't help but smirk slightly at the looks on the three, who had seemed to have forgotten what they had been arguing about the whole time in the first place. "Kakashi, remain a moment. There are a few more things I need to discuss with you."

"Yes, me too." Kakashi nodded, then turned to the others. "Alright then, I'll see you all at five AM, day after tomorrow." He eye-smiled.

"How about eight instead?" Sakura offered with a slight eye-twitch of her own. '_CHA! No WAY am I ever getting up that early again!_'

"Hmm?" Kakashi blinked dramatically. "Well, if you _really _want it that way..." He shrugged innocently.

"So Naruto," Iruka smiled, "Now that your officially a genin, I think you're going to need this back." He pulled Naruto's Hitai-ate out of his pocket and held it out.

Naruto's eyes widened, and before anyone could blink, he had snatched it away from the chunin and had it wrapped around his forehead.

"Yep! Still looks good on me!" Naruto gave a huge smile at his now former academy teacher, but still current friend.

"Wait a minute," Kakashi interrupted, "As long as were on the subject of returning things..." Kakashi held out his empty hand to Naruto, who blinked at him.

"What?" Naruto questioned in confusion.

"...Um... My book... please?" Kakashi asked in a surprisingly meek tone.

As a look of comprehension crossed Naruto's face, Kyaena allowed herself a long evil chuckle. Kakashi didn't like the huge, teeth baring smile that Naruto turned on, although Iruka and Sarutobi struggled not to laugh.

"Oh, that. Sorry, I don't have it anymore." Naruto grinned as Kakashi turned pale.

"Heh-heh...Heh... Wh-wha... What do you mean... you don't have it?" Kakashi chuckled nervously.

"I gave it away." Naruto shrugged innocently.

WHUMP

Everyone looked down at the now unconscious jounin. After a moment of prodding from Iruka, Kakashi came too, until his eye re-focused on Naruto.

"How could you!?" Kakashi wailed, on his knees as he grabbed the front of Naruto's jacket. "Do you remember who you gave it to!? Where it was!? Well? WELL!?" He blubbered in panic.

With a slight scowl of annoyance, Naruto pulled Kakashi's hands off his jacket.

"Relax, I know exactly who has it." Naruto brushed his jacket front a bit.

"Really!?" Kakashi's face, or what was visible of it anyway, lit up. "Who is it!? What dirty, low down, despicable, back stabbing, dishonorable and disgusting teme would just take some random book from someone without-" Kakashi was cut short as Naruto quickly held up a 'wait-one-second' finger in front of his nose.

Naruto slowly moved his finger around, drawing Kakashi's eye until Naruto pointed past him, making him look around... only to see Sarutobi still sitting in his chair, nibbling at the stem of his pipe.

"That _was _one of the things I was going to talk to you about." Sarutobi remarked with a raised eyebrow.

"Ah. Right." Kakashi quickly jumped to his feet in embarrassment. "Right. So, I'll see you later." He waved awkwardly to the group.

"Alright, Naruto, Sakura, if you'll follow me, I'll show you the archives." Iruka started for the door...

GROOOWWWWWLLL

Everyone stopped and looked at Sakura, whose face had turned nearly as pink as her hair.

"Maybe we should swing by the cafeteria for Sakura-san before heading to the archives." Naruto snickered.

"Ah, right." Iruka nodded, trying not to laugh at the kunoichi's embarrassment. He lead the two out of the room, turning right past the door to go to the archives (via the cafeteria), and Sasuke turned left to just... go.

Kakashi, now alone in the large room with the Hokage, walked over to stand in front of his superior. He had a feeling, judging by the look on Sarutobi's face, that trying to sit down would definitely be inappropriate at the moment.

They both remained silent for several long moments. Just as Kakashi was about to open his mouth, Sarutobi held up a halting hand. The old ninja snapped his fingers, and with a slight poof, an ANBU appeared out of nowhere, standing next to the Hokage.

"My report, Hokage-sama." Tetsuko, behind her mask, announced simply as she pulled out a scroll and handed it to him.

"What report?" Kakashi asked warily as Sarutobi unrolled the scroll and began reading.

"My report on the exam you gave the three." Tetsuko replied in a monotone.

"She was following my orders." Sarutobi said without looking up, cutting Kakashi's protests off before they started.

"And if I might ask, why?" Kakashi glared at the women, who showed no reaction.

"Because of the Mizuki incident. I wasn't sure if you had a _grudge _against Naruto as well, due to his burden." Sarutobi paused to look one eye over the edge of the scroll. "Do you?"

"Of course not." Kakashi stood ridged, seemingly offended by the accusation.

"Hmm." Sarutobi continued reading, only to pause, looking up straight at the jounin. "It would seem you sugar-coated your version of events earlier."

"... I was trying to avoid unnecessary argument." Kakashi defended.

"And you failed quite spectacularly, if I do say so." Sarutobi tilted his head slightly.

"Yes, well... Naruto certainly is a handful." Kakashi shrugged.

"He was also right about your actions during the test." Sarutobi let a trace of disapproval slip out with his words. Only a trace, because he held the rest of it back.

"What?" Kakashi blinked.

"Breaking two of his ribs? That was unacceptably careless of you." Tetsuko hissed lightly.

"It's not like there's any harm done. I admit, I had heard the rumors about his healing abilities, but I didn't think it was that strong. It couldn't have been more than sixty seconds before he picked himself up again." Kakashi mused with interest.

"So, because he can heal quickly, you think it means it's ok to beat on him so hard?" Tetsuko tensed with the cold drifting off her voice.

"No. Don't try to put words in my mouth. I told you it was an accident, and that's the truth." Kakashi unleashed a full angry glare at her. "Who do you think you are, trying to accuse me of such a thing? Or don't you know who I am?" He drew himself up.

"She's Naruto's guard, and has been for nearly five years. And what would you have done if that 'accident' had happened with Sakura or Sasuke?" Sarutobi asked, resuming reading the last of the report.

"It wouldn't have. Because they weren't anywhere near the challenge that Naruto was, thereby making me take him more seriously. I didn't even think I had kicked at him that hard." Kakashi rushed out his explanation, seeing Sarutobi's increasing disapproval.

"It was his backpack." Tetsuko said. "You didn't realize just how much equipment Naruto was carrying. With it's weight and momentum, it was like you kicked him while his back was to a metal wall. There was almost no give to it."

"Ahh..." Kakashi slowly nodded, thinking how Naruto had been so much trouble, yet had never taken off his backpack. '_And if it was weighing him down so much, that could count as him holding back on me._' Kakashi thought with a slight shudder.

"Overall, I have been very displeased at how you handled this entire matter. The fact that you haven't participated in the team selections in a few years is no excuse." Sarutobi scolded. "Lying to your students about the exam-"

"I had to be hard on them. I had to put pressure on them or I wouldn't have been able to be sure if they could handle a real ninja's life." Kakashi defended.

"You could have given them any sort of difficult exam. But you should not have tried to deceive them about it, or at least, not Naruto. Even if they've accepted the situation for the moment, they might not be very trusting of you for a while." The Hokage frowned. "How can our village function if the new generations are being taught that they can't trust the older ones?" Sarutobi gave a harsh glare at Kakashi. "Even I've lost some of Naruto's trust because I let you into his apartment without his permission."

"..." Kakashi was at a loss at that.

"Naruto is far more dangerous than anyone in the village realizes. Not because of his burden, but because he is so driven to prove that he's just as deserving of respect as anyone else. It's his only goal in life. So much so, that he was even beginning to consider leaving the village to attempt to find somewhere else to make a name for himself." Sarutobi sighed with the depressing thought.

"That's impossible! He would never be allowed to leave!" Kakashi stated in shock. Sarutobi shook his head.

"As a civilian, he would have had every right to leave if he wanted to, and there would have been no legal way to stop him. And he would have been in terrible danger if that was the case." Sarutobi paused, then straightened up. "Thankfully, we don't have to worry about that. Now that he's become a ninja at last, he has no reason to leave, but now only all the more reason to work even harder to prove himself. So you had better be very careful not to anger him. He does have an unstable temper at times..." Sarutobi reached into his pocket and pulled out Kakashi's orange book. "...And he's already proven he's capable of killing you if he wants to."

"Only because he had help." Kakashi's eye twitched in embarrassment as he reached for his book, but stopped when Sarutobi pulled it away for a moment.

"Tell me. What was she like?" Sarutobi leaned forward with great interest. "This was the first time that Kyaena-san has ever been seen by anyone other than Naruto. What was your impression of her?"

Tetsuko was still standing slightly behind the Hokage, momentarily forgotten, and was watching Kakashi intently for his reaction. Kakashi's one visible eye seemed to glass over slightly.

"Ah... Well..." Kakashi's attention seemed to drift off.

(KAKASHI'S FLASHBACK)

Kakashi made his way through the trees of field seven, having just left behind a very pissed off Uchiha up to his neck in a soiling lesson.

'_So, Sakura and Sasuke are out for the moment. But I'd better check on Naruto. He's been so much trouble, he's probably freed himself already. Even if there are only a few minutes left in the exam._' Kakashi thought as he came into the open area where the exam had started.

A quick look confirmed that Naruto was indeed not still tied to the tree where Kakashi had left him. But then, he noticed some bright color over by the river. It wasn't Naruto's orange, it was red. Bright red. Lots of red. And a little gold too.

Kakashi blinked in slight surprise at the person sitting on a largish rock next to the river. The _female _person, judging by the back of the long red hair, and the overall body posture wrapped in the seriously expensive-looking kimono that lay elegantly over the sides of the rock. It was a bright red, with gold patters of flames all throughout it. Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

'_Well well, Naruto. This is a most... amusing, tactic. But sadly, it won't work. I know all about your so-called 'Sexy Jutsu' from the academy. Still, I'll play along for a minute or two. This ought to be worth a few laughs later with Iruka._' The jounin snickered to himself as he approached the 'woman'. In the best serious tone he could manage, he called out. "Excuse me miss, but this is a temporarily restricted area! We are engaged in ninja exercises! It's dangerous for your to be-" Kakashi stopped short when the 'woman' turned to look at him. '_Merciful Kami..._' Kakashi thought as he nearly went numb from shock.

She was by no means pale, but her skin was so smooth and pure, it wouldn't have been possible to guess her age. Her lips were of a bright red, almost equal to her hair. And her eyes...

Kakashi, along with most of the shinobi in the village, had a silent agreement that Kurenai was one of, if not the most beautiful kunoichi, and woman in general, in the village. Not because of her hair, or physical body, or her own blemish-free complexion, though those were very much admired in their own right, but because she was the only person in the village with naturally red eyes. It gave her an exoticness that was simply not matchable by any other women... until now.

Then there was the simple fact that the woman's chest was ten times bigger than any woman's that Kakashi had ever seen. And considering the women he had seen in his life, it was an almost unbelievable sight. Kakashi couldn't help but think that she wouldn't barely be able to reach her arms around herself, her chest was so massive.

"Oh, so you must be Kakashi Hatake. With that unique profile, I'd hate to think there was more than one of you running around the village." The woman stood up from the rock and turned to face him. "Naru-kun said you were a little strange looking... I see he was being generous." She raised a perfect eyebrow in slight disgust as she glanced him over.

"Uh...Ah... Y-... A-and you are?" Kakashi stuttered out, his face reddening, even behind his mask. '_Great Kami, Naruto! You're a **genius **with the Transformation Jutsu! A small child could disapear into that sweet heavenly flesh! She's the most beautiful woman I've seen since-Ack! No! Must fight pervertedness! It's just an illusion, it's just an illusion, it's just an illusion..._' Kakashi swallowed a lump.

"I'm Kyaena Unaikaji. I certainly didn't think I was early, for I was expecting Naru-kun's exam to be over by now. I just came to get him for lunch, that's all." Kyaena said as she walked up to him, the soft _plaft-plaft-plaft_ of her breasts bumping together echoing in Kakashi's ears.

"Oh, I see." Kakashi replied as he looked up at her.

Yes, looked UP at her. Kakashi was definitely not a short man, standing about 5'11" or so, but the vision of royal elegance in front of him was a good several inches taller than him. He estimated her at somewhere between 6'3" and 6'6". It was a new experience for him, and was in fact, slightly unnerving. Especially with the godly globes of flesh preceding her.

"Well?" Kyaena asked, with a trace of impatience entering her authoritative voice.

"What?" Kakashi blinked, trying to shake off his daze. The crimson beauty frowned slightly, her ruby eyes narrowing.

"Well, is the exam over or not? I don't like my Naru-kun missing meals. He has to keep his energy up for his training schedule!" She snapped in irritation.

Finally managing to compose himself, Kakashi gave an apologetic shrug.

"No, not quite yet I'm afraid. But it should only be a few more minutes. They're turning out to be quite pathetic, so they won't last much longer." Kakashi offered casually, and smirked to himself when he saw 'Kyaena's' eye twitch. '_Ah Naruto. Such an obvious give-away. You'll have to work on that._' He thought.

"Don't you dare call my Naru-kun pathetic!" Kyaena snapped viciously. "You couldn't possibly know enough about him to judge him like that!"

"Oh, but I think I know enough." Kakashi remarked as he took a step forward, now within arms reach of 'her'. "I know he's rash, loud, and quick to anger. I know he hates to be insulted, and I know he has a tendency to rely on pranks to try to get to people." Kakashi stated, as his right hand flexed slightly. '_What a pity I have to end this. I could just stare at this image of pure Icha-Icha loveliness all day. But, I have to finish up the exam. Besides, when else in my life will I ever have this opportunity again?_' He fought the urge to chuckle. "But sadly, pranks just aren't going to cut it this time. Do you understand... NARUTO!?" Kakashi shouted as he lashed out with his right hand, aiming for a spot that would so obviously be above his shortest students' head, thereby exposing his ruse.

SMACK

"EEEK!" Kyaena staggered back, instantly trying to wrap her arms around her assaulted leviathan bosom, with a moderate degree of success and failure.

Kakashi was frozen in the exact stance from when his hand had collided with the inconcievably impressive, very REAL flesh.

'_Th-... That's not an illusion._' His mind screeched to a halt. '_But... that means... this really is..._'

"You-! YOU-!" Kyaena's face contorted into pure rage.

'_Uh-oh._' Kakashi felt all the blood in his body draining down into his feet.

"You... You beastly, despicable, perverted-!" Kyaena stomped towards the petrified jounin, her eyes almost seeming to glow with hellish fury.

'_OH CRAP! HELP! KAMI SAVE ME!_' Kakashi's mind screeched out in panic, even as his legs were trying to tell him to run far, far away. But he couldn't. And it was due to the fact that the woman about to rip him apart, coincidentally held a strange similarity to the one and only woman Kakashi had ever loved in his life. Funny how the mind can do things like that to you in a moment of crisis.

"You..." Kyaena stopped in front of Kakashi, pausing for a moment before lashing out with both hands, grabbing him by his vest and yanking him forward off his feet, pressing her gargantuan pillowly chest against his as their faces were scant inches apart. "YOU-BIG-" She leaned her face around the right side of his face, "...Meanie..." She breathed into his one exposed ear.

Kakashi couldn't help it. The sudden revelation of it being a real woman and not an illusion, the sudden adrenaline rush, and the rather excitable body-to-booby contact, made him do something he hadn't done in more than a decade.

Kyaena shielded her face as Kakashi flew backwards nearly twenty feet, his rocket nosebleed both staining and penetrating the mask on his face as he hit the ground and slid to a stop.

Kyaena quickly walked over to the twitching man and kneeled down, waving a hand in front of his face. Concluding he was completely out of it, she did a quick glance around as she took the bells from his belt, then grabbed an arm and dragged him over into some thick bushes...

(END KAKASHI FLASHBACK)

"She is... definitely something special. Of that I have no doubt." Kakashi replied after several moments.

"Is that all?" Sarutobi questioned skeptically.

"Well, I only met her for a few moments. I'll have to talk to her at greater length to get anything more specific." Kakashi shrugged. Sarutobi gave a slight snorted chuckle.

"Good luck with _that_. From the sound of the first impression you made," Sarutobi tapped at the report scroll, "I doubt she'll be interested in talking to you again for a while." He handed the orange book to Kakashi.

"We'll see. I'm going to have to talk to Naruto and the others quite a bit in this coming week." Kakashi sighed, quickly tucking it away in it's rightful spot.

"Something else you're going to need luck with, given what they seem to think of you as a sensei. You've got a lot of damage control to work on." Sarutobi offered up a not-so-sympathetic toast of his tea cup.

"I never expected this to be easy, after being out of the loop of fresh genins for so long, but still." Kakashi muttered, then tilted his head slightly. "By the way, why _didn't _you just assign the squad to 'her' when Naruto suggested it?"

Sarutobi paused in mid sip of his tea, then set the cup down.

"I would have had more than enough trouble just from assigning Naruto alone to her. But I think that the objections raised at that would be able to be minimized with some... painful, reasoning." Sarutobi frowned for a moment to himself before continuing. "But there's no way in the world my _esteemed_ advisors would ever allow her to be the sensei to 'the last Uchiha'. Due to certain... issues..."

"Ah. I had a feeling it was something like that." Kakashi cleared his throat nervously, knowing damn well not to inquire further into that subject, seeing how it was a personal sore spot for the Hokage.

Sarutobi stayed in silent thought for a moment before refocusing himself.

"All in all, I suggest you steer clear of her for the next couple of weeks. She's likely to be a bit... irritated, if she hears how all this played out." Sarutobi suggested meaningfully.

"I'll keep that in mind." Kakashi nodded.

Silence filled the room for several moments before Sarutobi looked up.

"I believe that was everything for now, Kakashi. You're dismissed." The Hokage motioned.

"Actually... There is one more thing I wanted to ask you... Concerning Naruto." Kakashi replied slowly. '_If I'm wrong about this, I may wind up dead for it. But if I'm right, not only would it explain several things, but it would be the most miraculous blessing..._'

"Oh? And what is it?" Sarutobi put the now empty tea set aside.

Kakashi paused, giving a glare at Tetsuko.

"Feel free to excuse yourself." The jounin directed at the ANBU.

"She's one of the only people in the village that has full clearance in regards to anything concerning Naruto. Anything she knows, I know, and what I know, she usually needs to know. Spit it out Kakashi." Sarutobi ordered.

"Alright... If we're going to be blunt about this..." Kakashi took a breath and looked Sarutobi directly in the eye. "Who were Naruto's parents?"

"Naruto's an orphan." Sarutobi responded all too quickly, with a sudden frost in his aged voice. Tetsuko tensed.

"Babies don't just drop from heaven, despite what some people care to think." Kakashi shot back.

"No one knows who Naruto's parents were. The only thing that is certain is that they died in the Kyuubi attack twelve years ago." Sarutobi's hand twitched near his dormant pipe on the table.

"The majority of people who died then were ninja. If his parents were really ninja, it should be very easy to search the records until a match is found. Are you saying in all these years, you've never bothered to look?" Kakashi glared insistently.

"Why are you asking this?" Sarutobi stood up from his chair, causing Kakashi to take a step back.

"Because the first time I laid eyes on Naruto, I nearly had a heart attack! Come on! You can't possibly tell me you can't see it!" Kakashi shouted, giving a momentary nervous glance at Tetsuko. "His resemblance to Minato-sensei is outright spooky! He's practically a perfect copy!"

"What?" Sarutobi blinked in shock. "_That's _what you're thinking? You think that Naruto is-"

"It certainly seems possible to me!" Kakashi snapped, seeming quite upset. "That report must surely say that I showed up _extra _late for the exam this morning." He pointed to the scroll on the table. "Would you like to know why? Because I had been up all night, going over every possible reason, way or possibility that this could be true!"

"And I'm sure you came to the conclusion that it _isn't_ true." Sarutobi didn't sound like he was making an observation, so much as an order.

"No, I didn't come to that conclusion! As a matter of fact, the more I think about it, the more it seems it could be very true!" Kakashi stated as his voice was gaining in volume.

"And what evidence or reasons have you come up with to support your belief?" Tetsuko spoke quietly, and though her mask hid her face, there seemed to be some interest in her voice. So when Sarutobi shot her a glare, she actually flinched.

"I don't have any _hard _evidence-" Kakashi muttered unhappily as his fists clenched in frustration. '_But Naruto's chakra... His element affinity... It's possible..._' He thought.

"Then I suggest you drop the matter, Kakashi." Sarutobi frowned, but continued before Kakashi could reply. "I understand how you feel about Minato-sama, being that he was your team sensei. But if you say even one word of this to Naruto, he'll skin you alive six times before mailing each of your bones to a different village." Sarutobi warned.

"Excuse me?" Kakashi blinked, caught off guard by the comment.

"Naruto, no matter how much he always praises Kyaena-san and all the help she's given him, I can tell that he still suffers the loneliness of not having a family, and it hurts him. Mention anything about parents in front of him in any way, unless he mentions them first, and you'll be lucky if all he does is yell your ear off." Sarutobi sighed.

"But if there's even the smallest chance..." Kakashi tried to appeal to the Hokage.

"Kakashi, Minato-sama was one of the greatest ninja our village has ever seen. Some few even say that he was greater than the Shodai. He was a genius seal master, and his 'defeat' of the Kyuubi made him the Hero of all of Fire Country as well as a legend among ninja forever. If that man, that hero, had a child, everyone in the elemental nations would know." Sarutobi stated. "You were Minato-sama's student. His only remaining student, after..." Sarutobi coughed respectfully, omitting Kakashi's own painful past, "Don't you think he would have told you if he had, or had been expecting, a child?"

Kakashi stood silent as he considered the Hokage's words. He thought and thought, and he was forced to admit that Sarutobi was right. If it were anyone else, it would be easy to believe that something like that could be kept secret, but not for the man who had been the Yondaime.

Kakashi thought back to the time just before the Kyuubi attack, thought about how his former sensei had acted, thought about what had been going on in the village. He couldn't remember anything, no indication that anything had been going on with Minato to suggest anything out of the ordinary. The biggest surprise had been hearing about a giant demon fox tearing through the forest, heading towards the village. Everything had happened so fast after that. Minato, dead. Hundreds of Leaf-nin, dead. And an little orphaned baby, with a burden he never asked for.

"I guess... I've never really wanted to think about it before." Kakashi said at long last. "Maybe... Maybe it just caught me by surprise, is all. But Naruto's face..."

"As hard as it is for a ninja to accept," Sarutobi sighed sadly, "Sometimes a coincidence, really is just a coincidence. And besides, Naruto doesn't act anything like Minato-sama. The Yondaime was one of the most serious and most level-headed ninja I had ever met. Naruto is more like a hurricane with a volcano of a temper."

"I guess I'm just going to have to try to ignore Naruto's totally creepy presence, right?" Kakashi eye-smiled, trying to sound like he was making a joke, but neither Sarutobi or Tetsuko were laughing.

"You're just going to have to try to do your duty as sensei, understood?" Sarutobi corrected.

"Right. That's what I meant." Kakashi nodded. "Ah, so, if you'll excuse, I have some arrangements to see to if I'm going to be ready to get started on the team tomorrow... no, day after tomorrow... That's what I told them right? Five a.m., day after tomorrow. No, eight. Sakura wanted it to be at eight." Kakashi was mumbling. He gave a brief wave as he vanished from the room.

Sarutobi and Tetsuko remained standing for several moments, until their senses told them that Kakashi was really gone.

"You're absolutely sure that he believes he met the real Kyaena-san? He doesn't know that it was Naruto's Transformation Jutsu?" Sarutobi turned to look at the masked woman.

"I'm sure. He was unconscious when Naruto-kun grabbed the bells and left, so he never saw him change back." She nodded.

"Good." Sarutobi gathered up the report scroll. "Make another copy of this, and make sure 'she' gets it."

"Sir?" Tetsuko asked with slight confusion.

"Kakashi was quite reckless over this whole matter. I think he needs more motivation to take his responsibilities seriously." Sarutobi smirked.

"Oh, I see." Tetsuko's voice lightened in amusement briefly before turning serious again. "But, if you'll forgive me, he had a point. Naruto-kun is nearly a carbon copy of Yondaime-sama. If-"

"You're dismissed." Sarutobi cut off sharply as he pocketed the scroll and his pipe, and started gathering up his tea set.

Without another word, Tetsuko vanished in a puff of smoke.

Sarutobi hovered over the table for a moment before slowly walking over to the balcony. He looked out at the village, then looked up at the mountain.

'_Even though you ordered it, Minato-sama, and even though I fully understand your reasoning, keeping Naruto's true identity a secret... It still makes me nervous. Especially when I have to out-right lie like that. Even if I am one of the only three people in the world who know, it's not easy._' Sarutobi thought as he gazed upon the stone faces. '_I wonder what will happen on the day that I'll finally be required to tell the truth._'

* * *

Having stopped in the cafeteria kitchen for some sandwiches for Sakura, her, Naruto and Iruka now were walking around in the primary rooms of the archives. Iruka was unable to stop chuckling to himself at the looks on the two genins' faces. Sakura was wide-eyed at the towering giant shelves packed with more books and scrolls than the girl had ever seen in her life. Naruto seemed stuck between trying to be serious, and trying not to drool.

Iruka had shown them around, explaining the sections and what was where. He had also explained, very clearly, about what was still off-limits to genin. The sections and rooms behind locked doors and chain-link walls that held exceptionally dangerous materials and jutsu that were restricted to chunin or jounin. But there was more than enough material in the primary sections to keep Naruto and Kyaena busy for quite a while. Iruka explained how to check out material, the format of which was essentially the same as a library, but also how it would sometimes be easier and more efficient to simply make copies of specific information for personal use.

"Here, Naruto." Iruka walked over and held out a rather thick book. "This covers the starting basics of what you asked about earlier."

"Awesome!" Naruto snatched the book and immediately started flipping through it, skimming over the headings. '_Elemental chakra conversion, elemental energy forms, chakra shaping... Oh yeah, this is the gem that will supercharge my chakra training._' Naruto smirked as Iruka went back to the shelves, looking for something else.

"**Hmm. It surprisingly covers a fair amount, for a human source. But I'm sure I'll be able to enhance it further.**" Kyaena remarked as she read the passages.

As Naruto was flipping through the pages, Sakura hesitantly moved over next to him.

"Hey, Naruto?" She asked.

"Hmm?" Naruto responded, not looking up.

"Err..." Sakura swallowed nervously. "I... I wanted to say thank you."

"What for? You would have eaten eventually anyway." Naruto continued reading without pause.

"No, not that." Sakura shifted awkwardly. "Thank you... for staying with the team." She smiled, but flinched when Naruto abruptly looked up at her.

"I didn't exactly have much choice." He stated, then his gaze drifted back to the book. "I hate being manipulated..."

"Manipulated?" Sakura blinked. "What are you talking about?"

"Look, Sakura-san, we may be a team now, but I would suggest that you always think twice about whatever Kakashi says. That's all I'm saying." Naruto shrugged.

"Um, ok. But Naruto, you need to call him 'sensei' now, alright? After all we just went through, I don't want you getting us in trouble because you don't show him the proper respect. He is a jounin, don't forget." Sakura pointed out.

"Sure, a jounin." Naruto chuckled. "Who's just as vulnerable to my Sexy Jutsu as Iruka-sensei or Old-Man-Hokage." Naruto shot a grin at Iruka who pretended to be very interested in measuring the amount of dust that was gathering on the shelves.

"Your... Sexy Jutsu?" Sakura's eye twitched as she recalled the prank Naruto had pulled on Iruka several times. "THAT'S how you got the bells from Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes, but to be fair, it wasn't my usual style. I figured he would have heard about it, so I changed it slightly. Had to be more subtle." Naruto explained as he tucked his book under his arm to take it with him, headed for the check-out desk.

"Subtle? You?" Sakura raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Naruto paused and looked at her with a serious face.

"No different than when I fooled you pretending to be Sasuke yesterday." He said before turning back to the clerk to check out the book.

Sakura reddened, nearly biting her tongue to keep from retorting, though whether out of embarrassment or anger, she wouldn't have said.

"Naruto, there's something I want to ask you about." Sakura said after a moment.

"Hmm? What is it?" Naruto asked, taking back the now checked book from the clerk. '_She's being awfully chatty all of a sudden. I wonder what's got into her?_'

"**I don't give a flying rat's ass fart in space about her! Can't you just ditch her? We've got training to plan!**" Kyaena growled in irritation.

"It's about the exam. When Kakashi-sensei broke your ribs, how did you heal so fast?" Sakura asked with genuine interest. "Do you already know some kind of medical jutsu?"

"No." Naruto replied shortly as he waved to Iruka, and started for the exit. '_Damn it. I'll have to come back for the jutsu scrolls later._'

"Well then, what is it?" Sakura asked as she quickly followed after him. But Naruto increased his pace. "Hey! What's the deal?" She called, increasing her pace to keep up. "Damn it Naruto, will you just answer my question? If your ability can help the team-"

"NO!" Naruto stopped sharply and whirled on her. "It doesn't work for anyone but me, and if you don't mind, I don't like talking about it!" He snapped viciously.

"Wh-what?" Sakura jerked up short to avoid running into her shorter teammate. "What do you mean? To be able to heal like that, it must be incredible! Why wouldn't you want to talk about it? If it were me, I'd want to find anyone who could help me learn about it!"

Naruto fumed for a moment before growling.

"The problem with that is, when other people find out about it, they get tempted to see how hard they have to beat on you until you stop getting back up!" Naruto shouted then turned and ran away as fast as he could, leaving behind a gape-mouthed Sakura.

'_What the... What was that about?_' Sakura stared in shock. '_The way he said that, he was saying that people have been beating him!?_' She quickly rushed back into the archives and over to Iruka. "Iruka-sensei, I need to talk to you about Naruto!"

Iruka could only sigh.

* * *

A masked Tetsuko jumped along roofs, looking for a specific person. She had already searched some of the other training fields, and was now searching restaurants. She finally found her target lounging on a street bench, seeming to be relaxing after eating.

Tetsuko dropped down in front of the fellow kunoichi, who was nibbling on what seemed to be some kind of wooden training senbon.

"What." The kunoichi barked, evidently not in the mood to be disturbed.

"Hokage-sama ordered me to give you this." Tetsuko pulled out a scroll and handed it to the other woman. "It's a report covering squad seven's exam, and what happened after." She neglected to mention that it was an edited copy.

"They finished?" The jounin sat up straighter with interest.

"Yes. Hatake passed the team." Tetsuko answered.

"Hmph! Of course he did!" The kunoichi nearly snarled, gripping the scroll tightly. "All for that whining bratty Uchiha..."

"No, actually. Hatake was only able to pass the team because Uzumaki-san let him." Tetsuko's amusement could be heard through the mask.

"Eh? Because Naruto 'let him'? What the hell does that mean?" The kunoichi raised an eyebrow.

"Read for yourself. I think you'll find it interesting." Tetsuko gestured to the scroll. "And Hokage-sama thought you'd have some helpful... _opinions_, about the exam that you could _share _with Hatake." She chuckled, then jumped up and away to return to her primary duties.

The jounin kunoichi unrolled the scroll and began reading intently.

* * *

Naruto ran out of the academy, ran out into the streets, ran across roof-tops and finally stopped as he landed on his apartment's front porch.

'_For Arceus' sake... Sakura-san decides to start paying attention to me, and it just has to be a taboo topic that she notices first._' Naruto grumbled as he entered his apartment.

"**Will you stop worrying about that brainless Pinkette!? Getting on with your elemental training is more important!**" Kyaena hissed, tapping her claws in irritation.

'_Take it easy. I can start training in a bit._' Naruto went through the door that separated his living space and his study space, and placed his new book on the reading table. '_But remember, I have to go untrap my remaining traps from field seven first._' He picked up the empty duffle bags that he had used before.

"**Wait a minute,**" Kyaena interrupted before Naruto could leave the room, "**Put on your weights first. From now on, I want you to wear them all the time, not just when you exercise.**"

'_What?_' Naruto paused in confusion. '_But you're always reminding me to take them off! What's with the change of attitude?_'

"**Because, before, I wanted to make sure you weren't slowed down in case you were chased by the tail-hunters. I wanted to make sure you had as much speed as might be necessary.** " Kyaena explained while flipping her tails. "**But now that your an active genin, if anyone attacks you now, the Hokage can't possibly overlook it. Whereas some people thought they could get away with abusing you before, now, there is no question or doubt. Attacking you is treason. Period. So, with some added degree of protection for you because of it, I think it's ok for you to wear your weights full-time now. I want you as strong as possible, as soon as possible... within reason, of course. I would never do anything to purposefully put you in danger if I can help it. You do well enough of that on your own.**" She huffed slightly, shaking her head in disapproval.

'_Well... I guess. If you're sure._' Naruto walked over to a table up against the wall, on which lay his training weights. '_Incidentally, do you think they're due for an increase?_'

"**Some. If you're going to be carrying around that small moon you call a backpack, it should be fairly good for now.**" She rolled her eyes at Naruto's silly habit of excess.

'_Ok. I can add the weight after I get back._' Naruto confirmed.

A minute later, with all five weights in place and two empty duffle bags under arm, Naruto headed out to return to field seven where he would spend two hours fixing the field and removing traps, before returning to his apartment to start his newest chakra training.

* * *

Sasuke walked down a street he had passed through several times already. To a non-ninja, it may seem like he was just casually strolling along, but he was in fact circling around the abandoned Uchiha quarter. His former home.

Technically, he could live there if he wanted to, since, thanks to some brown-nosed higher-ups, he owned all of it. But he couldn't stand to set foot inside the walled area, let alone live or sleep in it. But neither could he ever forget or ignore it. He would occasionally just spend hours silently walking around the area in circles. And no one ever dared to bother him.

But then, things do change.

"Yo, Sasuke." Kakashi, leaning against a tree, called out.

Sasuke paused, looking at his new sensei.

'_He still seems like an idiot._' He thought to himself.

"I just needed to make sure you know what's going on, and what's going to happen." Kakashi gestured lazily.

"What's going to happen?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"What's going to happen, is that the team is going to be working on being a team before anything else." Kakashi said.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke frowned in suspicion.

"I mean, that the team is barely a team as it is. There wasn't as much cooperation during the exam as I would have liked. And you certainly didn't contribute anything." Kakashi stated.

"What!?" Sasuke snapped, turning a full on angry glare at the man.

"Sasuke, your attitude during the exam, and while in the presence of Hokage-sama, was unacceptable." Kakashi pushed off the tree to stand up tall in front of the boy. "I know you've kept to yourself these last few years, but being a ninja means you're going to have to learn to count on others. Until the team can get along in a more... well, I guess 'civil' is an appropriate term... Until the team can get along in a more civil way, I won't be teaching you anything unduly dangerous."

Sasuke stared at the jounin for a moment, until he was able to understand what he was saying.

"You can't refuse to teach me. That's your job." Sasuke stated in a tone that some might consider... haughty.

"My duty is to teach the _team_." Kakashi corrected with a warning tone. "So if there is something you want to learn from me, you'll have to help make sure the other two are ready to learn it as well. There will only be two things that you alone will be learning exclusively, and I won't be teaching you those until either I decide you're ready for them, or if the circumstances at the time demand that you need to know." He stared down at the dark boy.

"And what are those two things?" Sasuke demanded, not liking the idea of someone holding back information he felt he was entitled to.

"Like I said, need to know." Kakashi crossed his arms. "Despite what others might have been telling you up until now, you're not that special." Kakashi held up a warning finger to stall Sasuke's outburst. "Don't ever forget, you wouldn't even _be _a ninja right now if not for Naruto. He chose to stay with the team, so that you and Sakura could pass. He is willing to try to get along with the team because he doesn't abandon his comrades. You need to be observant of him, and try to follow his honorable example." Kakashi stated with resolve.

"He's the dead-last-loser of the class, and habitually breaks every rule put to him. You want me to learn from _that_?" Sasuke hissed in disgust.

"It's true, Naruto is a bit wild. Although, even if you consider him trash for breaking the rules, he already knows that it's preferable to break a rule, than to abandon your comrades. To do that, would make you worse than trash. It would make you a traitor." Kakashi tilted his head slightly as he watched Sasuke's reaction.

Sasuke went stiff and wide-eyed at Kakashi's words. His fists clenched so hard they were shaking as his gaze dropped down to the dirt and pebbles in the street. Naruto's words from the day before came blaring back into his mind...

"I absolutely HATE... traitors."

Sasuke slowly looked to his right, at the wall of the Uchiha quarter.

'_Could he really understand?_' He wondered. '_Does he really know what that kind of hatred is like? I couldn't care less if he has some agenda of his own, since it has nothing to do with mine. But maybe, on a long shot, if he has even the slightest understanding... He hasn't had the resources or training that I've had. That would be unbearably frustrating, if I had been cut off, if people had ignored me, even though I have an undeniable purpose..._' Sasuke frowned slightly. '_Well, that could explain Naruto's temper, and stupidity. Ugh... That would be harsh._' He shuddered.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi asked to catch the boy's attention. '_Well, at least I got him thinking._' He noted.

"Whatever. If the loser can behave himself, I'll follow orders." Sasuke huffed as he walked off. "Just don't blame me if the others turn out to be completely worthless." He walked down the street and turned a corner out of sight.

Kakashi stayed standing in the same spot, looking after where Sasuke had gone, and turning to regard the walls of the empty living area himself.

'_This is going to be a very long assignment. These three are probably about as badly matched a group as could be made out of their graduating class._' Kakashi sighed to himself as he rubbed at his temple due to his growing headache. '_And despite what I just told him, Sasuke **is **special. It's going to be hard to keep his training on course._' Kakashi looked up into the partly cloudy sky. '_It would have been more incredible if Naruto really was... But I guess that was just wishful thinking on my part. But he is far more skilled than I'd heard. I'll have to ask Iruka or Hokage-sama if there is a file-_'

"HATAKE!" Came a raging scream of a woman.

Kakashi didn't even try to act surprised. He just ran.

"It won't help them if you kill their new sensei before we even get started!" Kakashi yelled over his shoulder as he dodged several shuriken.

"That's debatable!" The kunoichi yelled as she pursued. "After what you did!? You're a stinking rat, Hatake! You didn't care at all about their stability, so long as you got what you wanted!" She flung a handful of senbon at the retreating man's ass.

"They chose to be a team!" Kakashi yelped as he lunged to the side to avoid the unwanted acupuncture, and leapt up to the roofs.

"You _guilt-tripped _Naruto to force him to stay! You have no right to call yourself their sensei!" She screamed, pulling out a kunai that had a slightly greenish tint to it as she somersaulted up to the roofs, intent on maiming her target before the end of the day.

"It was just a test! I was acting!" Kakashi wailed as he raced on.

The chase lasted on into the evening, with the occasional explosion punctuating the air.

* * *

Sakura was feeling incredibly exhausted as she let herself into her house. She had left the academy, after Iruka had proven to be no help in regards to Naruto's attitude. All the chunin would say is that there were a number of strictly personal matters in Naruto's life, and that she had to get the answers from Naruto himself. He also warned her not to be overly pushy, or Naruto would never tell her, since they were difficult issues for him to deal with.

Sakura was not liking how the last several days had progressed. She had gone from being sure of herself and her future ninja career, to confused and angry, and now she was just worried. She didn't know what lie ahead of her now, and she didn't know what to expect from the 'team' she was now a part of.

She thought things would be fine now that she would be with Sasuke more, but the revelation that she didn't know Naruto anywhere near as well as she believed, was making her nervous. Especially considering the fact that Naruto was far more skilled than she had thought.

Sakura was just leaning in a doorway, thinking about the day, when her mother came wandering in.

"Oh, you're back, Sakura!" Mebuki Haruno chirped merrily. "So how did it go? You're genin exam was today, right?"

"Wha? Oh, yeah, took it, passed... sort of." Sakura muttered, not really focusing.

"What do you mean, 'sort of'?" Mebuki asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, the team is now officially active, but... I don't really think I contributed all that much during the exam." Sakura said absently.

"Oh, don't worry dear! It's always a little awkward when your first starting out, but I'm sure you'll be able to make great progress with the help of Uchiha-dono!" Mebuki smiled encouragingly.

"But he didn't seem to do so well in the exam either." Sakura said, frowning off into space. "In fact, I'm not sure either of us would have passed at all if Naruto hadn't humiliated Kakashi-sensei so thoroughly." She nibbled on her lip a bit.

"Naruto?" Mebuki frowned. "Naruto... _Uzumaki_!?" She snapped harshly, making Sakura finally look over at her in surprise at her tone. "Sakura Haruno, you never mentioned that _Uzumaki _was your other teammate!"

"I didn't?" Sakura blinked meekly in slight surprise.

"Young lady, you will tell me EXACTLY what happened today, and don't you dare leave anything out!" Mebuki ordered angrily, marching over and forcing Sakura to sit down.

With great confusion and nervousness, Sakura told everything that had happened from when she first got up to go to the exam, all the way up to when she came back in the door minutes ago.

Mebuki listened to every word, but gave no sign or reaction of any kind as her daughter finished recapping the events that had taken place.

"Mom," Sakura said after she had finished, "What's wrong? There's no reason to worry, right? I passed, didn't I?"

Mebuki, who had been staring off into space, looked at the younger Haruno.

"Sakura, despite what he did to assist you in becoming a genin, you should be very wary of Uzumaki. Try not to let yourself wind up alone with him for any reason. He's dangerous." Mebuki ordered and stood up as if the conversation were over.

"What do you mean, he's dangerous? Mom, what is it?" Sakura looked up at her mother with confused eyes. "What is it about Naruto that always puts everyone on edge?"

"It's something I can't talk about. Something I've never really wanted to give much thought..." Mebuki trailed off with an unhappy frown to herself. She gave a look at Sakura. "Just be careful around him, and I'll want you to tell me about every mission you go on. Is that understood?" She demanded.

Sakura just nodded, as her mother went into the kitchen. Sakura hurried up to her room.

'_What the heck is going on?_' Sakura wondered to herself as she flopped onto her bed, looking up at the ceiling. '_I've never even given Naruto a first thought, let alone a second one, yet there seems to be something about him that gets all the grown-ups agitated whenever his name is mentioned._' She rolled over, looking at a small framed picture she had secretly taken of Sasuke earlier in the year. '_I thought being on the team would be all about Sasuke-kun. But now..._' Sakura grabbed a pillow, pulling it under her chin as she thought of how intense Naruto's actions and words to both Kakashi and Sarutobi had been. '_Ok, I'll admit, Naruto isn't as completely clueless as I thought, but still... His presence couldn't possibly make that big a difference... Right?_'

* * *

END OF CHAPTER

* * *

END OF ARC

* * *

Author's Notes:

Reasons this chapter took so long: 1, it was difficult for me to write the confrontations. 2, I was sick. 3, seems to have a problem with uploading chapters that are more than about 20k words. 4, I shamefully admit that due to the discovery of a kick-ass combo of a character editor and an item creator, I have recently been getting pulled back into the world of Diablo II. Sorry.

I would prefer that people not give me any fudge about how 'after all that, Naruto still went with the team!?'. Yes, I know it doesn't seem right, and admittedly, I almost backed myself into a corner, where I wouldn't have been able to keep team 7 together. However, I believe that the changing attitudes of the characters in regard for Naruto makes up for it slightly. This fic is about a better Naruto on team 7, so, unfortunately, it's the way it has to be... for now.

In regards to Sarutobi's actions and the SAS: He had wanted Naruto to be on a team, thinking it would be better for him, and the graduates had worked out perfectly for teams of three. But, as is seen in this chapter, Sarutobi wasn't about to let Naruto leave, so he was going to enact the SAS option to keep Naruto as a ninja. The fact that Kakashi used some low blows to get Naruto to stay, was not something Sarutobi or Iruka appreciated, hence why Sarutobi wanted Tetsuko to deliver the exam report to the 'other woman', as it were. Sarutobi still thinks that being with a team will help Naruto in a psychological/spiritual way, which is the only reason he allowed it.

All those who never expected Kakashi to use the word 'spooky', raise your hand. (Raises hand) Ok, now that I got that out of the way...

I've been a bit sick of stories I've seen and read where either Kakashi doesn't realize who Naruto is, or even worse, does know and doesn't care. I say it would be impossible for him not to notice and suspect the truth, but lacking hard evidence, wouldn't be able to confirm it. And the fact that Sarutobi deliberately denied it to his face would of course cause him to doubt what his own eye is telling him. I won't make Kakashi just drop the matter, but the more time that goes by, the harder it would be for Kakashi to keep to his belief of the possibility. I will enjoy making that doubt return to stab him in the back.

Yes, I revealed how Naruto got the bells from Kakashi. Many of you probably saw it coming, but you might want to re-read Kakashi's flashback a few times. I slipped a little foreshadow treat into it. Have fun speculating and gossiping. And then there's the little matter of Naruto stealing Kakashi's book. I thought it was appropriate. Don't know if I should have made Sarutobi give it back so easily, but then, Sarutobi was trying to make sure Kakashi didn't learn things he wasn't supposed to. Like Naruto's true identity, or his 'special' Transformation Jutsu. I don't know how long it will take Kakashi to notice that second one.

I hope the conversations between Naruto and Kyaena concerning Naruto's training make at least a little sense. This is a very good example at how their observations of people and events around them will lead to ideas that will help Naruto's training. I think Naruto, in my story, has the attitude 'try everything and see what works'. It's this learning habit that will lead to most of the skills that Naruto will learn/discover/invent, and also, due to the big fat option I threw into this chapter, having access to the archives will allow him to learn more jutsu than just what he knows in canon (which I dislike his limited repertoire). This will be made obvious in the progression of the Wave Arc. And there was more to Naruto's element test (the paper) than it seemed. It's a little nugget I'll dig out later in the story.

I've still been following the anime, both the first series and Shippuden, and I'm seeing that I have a lot of work ahead of me. This first series is going to take a major turn after a certain event, and I've become quite disgusted with Shippuden from what I've been seeing, so I'll probably take it in a very different direction. But that's a long way off, and I have plenty of time to plan for it.

While preparing to proceed to the Wave Arc, I noticed something I'm a bit miffed at not catching before. There is a _six-month _time span between the beginning of the series and the beginning of the chunin exams. Even if you allow for 2-3 weeks for the Wave Arc mission, that still leaves the better part of three months in front and behind (assuming the Wave mission happens smack in the middle). Considering how much more I'm trying to add to Naruto's training and learning, I'm wondering if I should add one more chapter here before I start the Wave Arc, and if I'll be adding one or two after the Wave Arc before the chunin exams (this latter one being more probable as will be explained during the Wave Arc).

SO, If you will please go to my profile and vote in the new poll, I will consider it while writing the next chapters.

Be aware, however, that I will need a while to review the Wave Arc episodes, and also, I will be taking some time to decide what jutsu Naruto will be learning in the immediate future. So the next posting may take some time, but I hope you will continue to appreciate my effort for quality in my story.

Be aware, I have worked to correct grammar, spelling and terminology in previous chapters, but no significant story alterations. I work to keep continuity and (relative) accuracy. Thank you.

To the next batch of reviews:

**Thozmp Corris**: I trust this chapter was about what you were hoping for in regards to Kakashi. You were pretty close on your expectations. Nicely done.

**darthgamer**: How is getting his ribs broken being 'overpowered'? I think Naruto just caught Kakashi by surprise, is all.

**Namikaze Raven**: I hope I explained Kakashi's feelings clearly enough. So there it is.

**Nebula1701**: Well, things seem to be going in a direction you seem to want. I hope you like it.

**RevlisFlow**: Sorry, no huge lakes of blood. But at least Kakashi was embarrassed. I'd say that's a point up for Naruto.

**Silent Blade**: Don't worry, no hard feelings. As for the long story length and chapters, that's what I have planned. It's going to take me a couple years to get that far. But I hope you enjoy the ride in the meantime.

**Nightcrawler2000**: Yes, I know that chapters are going to be hard to regulate. I hope to not have any more than the same number as the anime, and I intend to find ways to cut out material that is unchanged from canon so I won't need to waste time on unnecessary writing. Basically, I'll include little reminders that certain events are still going on, but won't actually write them out, leaving it to the readers to remember what happens, and fill in the material in their own minds. But despite my wish to not have to re-write everything, there will be the occasional chapters of my own original events that I'll throw in from time to time, mostly necessary if I introduce un-canon events, as I did with the genin exam here. But I'll keep working on them. And as to the cliff-hangers... that's the whole fun of them. (Grins)

**AztekLord**: Naruto being stubborn is just part of his personality. But there's a difference between being dumb, and misinterpreting information. But no worries, things will get stranger before they get weaker.

**Keigai O Yain**: Your reviews are very interesting, though I wonder if others will start taking up your example in quoting lines from my chapters. That would get a little strange. But the best part of all, you _want _me to take my time to get a chapter up to a good quality. Thank you very much.

**ConnectFire611**: I can't recall if I PM'ed you an answer already, so I'll mention it here. Naruto's healing is more along the lines of supernatural regeneration, therefore it does not carry side-effects of any harmful nature to Naruto.

**nitrous**: No, sorry. Tetsuko has her own role to play, but not as sensei. But I hope you'll find her participation in future events interesting. I wouldn't have put her in the story without having a purpose for her. I hope you'll keep reading.

**tacitamccp12**: First, you have a very unique username. I can't even pronounce it out loud. Second, I'm sorry that I can't supply your 'fixes' faster, but I would think you want the high-quality product that gives you a satisfying buzz, and not some out-of-date, half-raw junk that forces you to kick the habit. Just remember, quality has it's price. (Winks)

**zurako**: YES! MY FLAMES OF YOUTH DON'T JUST BURN, THEY BLAZE! HA-HA! So. Thank you for the review, and I'm glad you like my take on Kyaena's character. I hope this chapter was to your liking.

**Calimora**: Hmm... 'Adding to canon', you say? That's an interesting way of putting it. I just thought of this story as my own AU re-write. But still, I think the basis of canon is good, I just wanted to explore a little more in-depth to certain events. Canon will be my guide, no matter how off-track I may wander from time to time. And it will get even more severe in latter chapters (very later).

**Darkness in the Light**: I'm sorry if my prologue started out a little angsty for you, believe me that wasn't my intent. But I think I was damn lenient on Naruto in comparison to what other writers have done. I only made it that Naruto couldn't speak because he wasn't taught until Kyaena stepped in. I've seen stories where the writer has literally had Naruto's vocal cords cut out to keep him silent. So I really don't think my story could be considered 'angsty', though I did avoid describing what nastiness Naruto _has _been through, and his memories of those events will play parts later. Especially in a certain part of the chunin exam. But, this is Naruto we're talking about, and his life is not easy by any measurement. So he's going to have trouble along the way.

**Cristalake**: Umm... Yeah. Glad you like the story. (scoots away nervously)

**Rooster455**: Allow me to clarify something important. Naruto does _not _like Sakura because she hates him. What I was saying is that he feels he has no right in getting angry at her due to his frustrations concerning the adult generation. If Sakura knew about 'the kyuubi', and hated him for THAT, then Naruto would probably hate her in return. But she doesn't know. She treats him like a 'normal' person, regardless of how she views him in that way. Naruto has a reason or two why he is interested in her himself, which will be revealed much later on when he has a reason to explain it, and I would think he's also trying to treat her like a 'normal' person, in that he doesn't judge her for the actions of others.

**Iztiak**: "You're going to find that many of the truths we cling to, depend greatly on our own point of view." A dead wise man once said on the swampy land of Dagobah. And as for the test being the same one that Sarutobi gave his students, ask yourself, do you think they (Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru) knew it was a trick ahead of time? Naruto knowing is what messed things up for Kakashi. Sarutobi believes that Kakashi should have used a different test, one that _none _of the genin knew about.

Thank you to everyone for all the great positive reviews! With only six (now seven) chapters, and 177 reviews, considering the size of my story so far, the fact that 99.9 percent of the reviews are positive is a major deal for me! I'm glad people appreciate this thing I do, which was originally just a fun thought I had for my own amusement!

This was an important transition chapter, so I hope everyone will give a thought to how things are going, and please comment on such thoughts in your reviews!

Be sure to check out my profile for my list of Naruto story ideas, free for anyone! And check the new poll. It seems I can only have one profile poll going at a time, but don't worry, the kunoichi poll will continue as soon as the issue of the next chpters is resolved.

Thank you all for your attention, time, and most of all, patience!

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This chapter edited:

5-21-2013


	8. SOTS,1,02,01

(AN: For disclaimer, see my profile.)

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**SOTS-1-02-01**

**Soul of the Seal - Story 1 - Arc 2 - Chapter 1**

**Arc 2 - "Everybody Stand And Do The Wave!"**

**Chapter 1 - "The First Step Into Darker Waters"**

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It had been a rather difficult and strange couple of months for squad seven.

It was difficult, almost solely due to the very chaotic and stressed way that the team had started out in the first place. Things had started out tense, and had remained so. Conversation was always a bit awkward. It might have seemed to an outside observer, that Sasuke was either sulking (in his emoistic fashion), or he was in denial about something. He said as little as possible to Naruto or Sakura, usually only about specific instructions given by Kakashi concerning training or missions, or something along those lines.

Sakura didn't like the fact that Sasuke seemed to be actively avoiding her as much as he was Naruto. She was genuinely trying not to snap at Naruto over every little thing, trying to always keep in mind that he was the reason she was a genin. But she was a little confused that Naruto didn't seem to show the same level of ability that he had during their genin exam, nor did he ever discuss the training or studying he did on his own when not with the team. If anything, he seemed a bit slower than normal, as if something were weighing him down, even when he wasn't wearing that boulder he called a backpack. She tried to ask him about it once or twice, but Naruto just said that when they were on duty as a team, they should all stick to what Kakashi covered, so as to minimize confusion or cris-crossing of instructions. It was a argument that made some sense, but Sakura still didn't like the feeling that Naruto was hiding something important, that she felt he should have been willing to share with the 'team'.

Naruto was getting more and more frustrated as time went on. He had thought that being an active duty ninja now meant that his training would become more efficient and intense. He thought that they would be spending days on end doing heavy sparring and tactical studying. But it was turning out to be the opposite. The team would waste precious hours waiting for their habitually late sensei, only to barely get any work done. Their sparring was often short and light that Naruto never broke a sweat, if you could even call it sparring, as they never faced each other. They would only take turns against a disinterested Kakashi who would always call it off before it got serious, or against training dummies that offered no useful feedback information as a live opponent would. These so-called 'team training' sessions would take up about half the day, or more, if you counted the time it took for Kakashi to _slowly _walk his team from place to place.

What made these weeks strange, however, was, for Naruto at least, due to the fact that he kept feeling like Kakashi was always staring at him with a strange look. But this was a little hard to confirm, of course, since only barely one quarter of the jounin's face was visible. Whatever it was, it made Naruto nervous at times, and made him unwilling to do any of his own personal training in front of the others, for reasons he couldn't understand. But Kyaena agreed that it was best, as long as Naruto was stuck with such an unfavorable group, to follow the ninth ninja principle:** The most dangerous opponent is the one you know the least about**. Kyaena reasoned, that if something bad _did_ happen between Naruto and his 'team', the less they knew about his true level of skill, the better.

If all this wasn't frustrating enough, the D-rank 'missions' that the team were sent on, could not possibly be called missions, in Naruto, Kyaena, and surprisingly, Sasuke's, opinions. If Sakura had any thoughts, she kept them to herself. The 'missions' were more like 'errands'. So instead of wasted time with half-effort training days, they were wasting time weeding lawns, walking dogs, and other mundane things that ordinary people should have been more than capable of handling themselves, rather than bothering ninja.

Because of everything, Naruto was getting so angry that he was losing so much training time, that he was trying to push himself harder in what personal time was left him. Kyaena was worried about his attitude, despite understanding it, and had to constantly reign him in from doing things that would be too damaging to his body. No matter how resilient her energy made him, even she knew that being overly reckless would be pointless if he were knocked out for days due to the strain he was trying to place on himself. Then there was the matter of his studies, which were also limited, so much that Naruto wasn't even getting half of what he wanted done completed. Despite his frequent trips to the academy archives, his chakra training and jutsu studies were going far too slowly in Naruto's opinion.

With Naruto's patience wearing thinner and thinner, the D-rank missions they went on only became even more annoying, with more and more arguments occurring between Naruto and Sakura, and the rare derogatory quip from Sasuke. It didn't help that Kakashi forbade Naruto from using his shadow clones to try to get the 'missions' done quicker.

The latest 'mission' squad seven had completed, and in fact had completed three times previously already, involved a psychologically disturbed feline that didn't seem to know that domestic pets were supposed to be de-clawed. Such ignorance demonstrated when the freak of fur repeatedly managed to scratch up Naruto's face, despite his efforts to keep it away from his exposed skin.

The group were walking into the mission wing of the Hokage tower, Kakashi in front carrying the pet container that held the pissy pussy, and the three genin trailing behind.

'_You know, I've never had a problem with animals before. I've always been carful not to provoke or threaten them, so they wouldn't have any reason to get nasty on me. I don't recall ever doing anything to that cat before the first time we had to catch it. And besides, it's a domesticated cat. Shouldn't that mean that it's more tame than wild cats?_' Naruto thought as he listened to the frantic mewls of the caged beast. The cat, not Kyaena.

"**Normally, I'd say yes, but there is something very disturbing about that... thing.**" Kyaena growled with an eye twitch. "**I'm beginning to doubt that it really **_**is **_**a cat.**"

'_But you said before that there isn't any demonic energy present. What else could it be?_' Naruto wondered as Kyaena gave a snuff of aggravated thought.

A few steps to his right, Sakura was trying not to get caught as she kept glancing at Naruto.

'_I wish Naruto would be willing to talk about it._' She thought. '_I saw that... cat, scratch Naruto's face to near ribbons not even an hour ago, and he's already completely healed! No marks or scars, just his normal whisker tattoos. Any ninja would consider that kind of ability to be invaluable, yet he acts as if it's taboo to even mention it!_' Sakura tried to keep her face neutral as the team entered the briefing room. '_Since Iruka-sensei won't say anything about it, and mother won't talk about him, maybe I should try to ask Kakashi-sensei about it. After all, he does seem to have some kind of interest in Naruto._' She brought herself to attention as she stood in front of her superiors.

With their backs to the open wall balcony, sitting at a long table, were the Hokage, Iruka, and four clerks/records-keepers. In front of Sarutobi was an exceptionally wealthy-looking, and exceptionally... err... corpulent... woman, who looked up eagerly as Kakashi approached the table.

"Squad seven reporting in, mission: retrieve missing pet 'Tora', successful." Kakashi stated as he held up the carrier, and opened the latch.

The three genin tensed at the sudden action, thinking the little devil would bolt at the first opportunity. They knew how fast the fur ball could be, but they didn't count on how fast the woman could be. The cat had barely begun to jump out when the lady snatched it up into her arms, swinging it around, squeezing it like a plushy.

"Oh my sweet kitty-kitty! I was so worried about you, my precious little baby! I didn't know what I'd do without you!" The lady squealed as she swung the wailing cat around and around, squeezing and nuzzling it.

"Jeez, being treated like that, it's no wonder it keeps running away." Sakura whispered. She blinked when she heard from her left...

"Squeeze it tighter, squeeze it tighter, squeeze it tighter, squeeze it tighter..." Naruto was muttering. Considering what the cat had put him through for the fourth time, Sakura didn't blame him in the least.

The lady walked over to one of the clerks to pay for the completed mission as Sarutobi pulled open a scroll in front of him, and compared it to a sheet paper with notes.

"Alright then. For the next assignment for squad seven..." Sarutobi muttered in a somewhat bored tone as he puffed on his pipe with his free hand. "Hmm. There are several available tasks. An errand to a neighboring town to baby-sit the chief councilor's three year old, helping his wife do shopping, or there's the matter of digging up a crop of potatoes-"

"NO! FORGET IT! I REFUSE TO DO THIS ANYMORE!" Naruto shouted out, startling everyone in the room. Out in the hall, a loud yowl preceded the yelling of the rich lady calling out to her cat that had escaped... again.

'_Oh dear. I had a feeling he was going to snap sometime soon._' Kakashi sighed, bracing himself for the trouble to come.

"This has gotten completely ridiculous!" Naruto continued. "If this is all your going to throw at us, I'm going to pass! I've got more important things that I could be doing than wasting time with this stupid crap!" Naruto crossed his arms in front of himself in defiance.

'_What? What could __**he **__possibly have to do that's so important?_' Sasuke wondered in sarcastic annoyance.

'_Oh man, Naruto's going to get us in trouble!_' Sakura tensed, then blinked. '_But then again, knowing Hokage-sama personally has got to be something in his favor. I still don't know how __**that **__happened._' She wondered quickly.

"NARUTO!" Iruka jumped up as he slapped his hands down on the table. "Don't be stupid! You're only a beginner! Everyone starts out doing grunt work! It's where you get experience so you can work your way up to the bigger things!"

"Experience!? _What _experience!?" Naruto shot back. "We've completed roughly fifty 'missions', and NONE of them have had _anything _to do with being a ninja!"

"Naruto, I think you-" Kakashi cleared his throat.

"Every mission is important to the village!" Iruka yelled over Kakashi, ignoring him. "You need to calm down and remember what your duty is!"

"My... WHAT!?" Naruto was twitching badly, his eye, his mouth, his hands.

"Naruto, I think you need an explanation about what exactly these duties are-" Sarutobi started to say, but Naruto cut him off.

"You can save your breath, Old-Man!" Naruto huffed. "I know all about the _rankings_, and the _categories_, and even the economic reasons!" Naruto rolled his eyes as he waved his hand in a rolling motion. "It's not like I'm asking you to send us on an assassination mission or anything! If you don't want to give use anything more dangerous, fine! Then don't! But stop wasting our time with these things!" Naruto managed to let out a tense breath. "Look, I thought when I became a genin, that it meant that I would be doing _serious _training to better my ninja skills. But since graduating, my training time has been _reduced _down to barely even a third of what it was before! What training out squad does manage to get in is hardly enough, and these ridiculous _chores _you have us do eats up nearly all my remaining free time!"

"But Naruto, these missions are important experience-" Iruka tried to say.

"If that's true, if they're really that great and productive, why don't you have academy cadets doing them? I have yet to see anything in these D-ranks that Konohamaru-kun couldn't do!" Naruto glared. "There's nothing dangerous or challenging about them, so why not give _them _a head start? Make it hands-on credit for the cadets! Heck, even my _shadow clones _could do these D-rank missions! Or rather, they _could_," Naruto shot a look at Kakashi who was innocently studying the ceiling rafters, "If I was _allowed _to use them, that is." He was angry at each time he tried to sneak his clones in on the work, Kakashi would appear and dispell them.

"Like you said, if they're so easy, why waste the chakra?" Kakashi shrugged.

"Because it's no waste for _me_. It doesn't even put a dent in my reserves." Naruto huffed at the cyclops before turning back to the Hokage. "How can you ever expect us to be serious ninja if you're not going to allow us to be serious about it?" He pointed out.

'_He kinda has a point._' Sakura agreed to herself as she shifted in her sandals.

'_I'm probably going to get a earful for this later..._' Kakashi thought miserably as he scratched at the back of his neck.

'_... He's just trying to show off..._' Sasuke kept himself neutral and unresponsive. '_Not to mention he's a big fat liar, claiming that he can use an __**A**__-rank jutsu without getting exhausted._' He thought angrily. He had done some discrete investigation and inquiries after the bell test, and to say that he had been pissed when he found out that the Shadow Clone Jutsu was an A-rank, and a forbidden one at that, would be a surprisingly accurate statement. For reasons better left unsaid. And he was still trying to find a way to bring it up the matter to Kakashi without sounding like he did back during the bell test, since that hadn't gotten him anywhere.

Iruka and Sarutobi had shared a glance as they considered the situation.

'_I was hoping that after becoming a genin, that Naruto would be able to calm down a little._' Sarutobi pondered. '_Since he saw becoming an active genin as a hurdle towards earning the villager's respect, I thought that now he had achieved that goal, he would ease off a bit until he had planned out his next goal. So either he already did so, and has decided it's an even bigger challenge, which I admit it would have to be... Or..._' Sarutobi couldn't help but smirk, '_Or he's just being a normal twelve year old boy who is really stubborn, frustrated and annoyed._' He chuckled. '_In a way, it's nice to know that he's still a kid, despite having been forced to grow up faster than the others his age._'

Next to him, Iruka had his own thought.

'_I'm getting a little sick of Naruto's angry rants always making so much damn sense._' The scarred chunin tried to suppress an eye twitch, even though he was grinning slightly as well.

"Well then, I suppose I could be persuaded to arrange something a little more relevant for you..." Sarutobi began, noting the surprised looks on all four of the members of squad seven, "That is, IF Kakashi believes you're ready to take on a C-rank." He looked at the jounin.

"Wh-what? You can? It is? If what?" Naruto blinked in total surprise as he, along with his equally stunned teammates, looked at Kakashi.

The squad sensei tried not to squirm under their combined stares, but gave it some real thought.

'_It doesn't seem like Naruto was expecting this, so if I refuse, he __**probably **__won't cause too much trouble... Though I'd have to step up their training schedule, considering he brought it up in front of Hokage-sama that he doesn't feel challenged enough._' Kakashi rubbed his chin as he looked down at his three students. '_But then again, a C-rank isn't THAT dangerous. Part of the requirements state that there is no expectation of ninja confrontation._' Kakashi looked at the Hokage. "What type of mission would it be?" He asked.

"An escort mission. Security for a traveler heading to Wave Country." Sarutobi replied, to which Kakashi nodded in understanding, and the three genin perked up at the information.

Well, Sakura and Sasuke perked up, but Naruto went eerily still... Not that anyone noticed.

'_So, most likely a quick jog out east, then right back._' Kakashi continued to deliberate. '_A person who's probably just nervous about bandits out in the areas of land between villages. That shouldn't be too bad._' The jounin took another glance at his students. '_And besides, if we run across bandits that Naruto and Sasuke can't take down with ease, well, then they really would deserve to go back to the academy._' Kakashi chuckled slightly to himself at the thought before turning an eye-smile to Sarutobi. "Alright. I think they can handle a little excitement. We'll take it."

"We will?" Naruto asked in slight disbelief. After a moment to register what was happening, he turned to look at Sarutobi himself. "Ok then... Who is it we're going to be escorting? A merchant noble? A celebrity, or maybe a famous actress?" Naruto asked with his spirits on the rise.

"**Naru-kun, I'm sure a famous celebrity would pay for more than just inexperienced genin for security.**" Kyaena shook her head in slight exasperation. "**And besides, you're already a better actor than most humans I could name.**" She smirked a fanged smirk, but was slightly concerned on the inside. '_**This will be the first time he leaves the village... If only it was permanent...**_' She sighed, but then paused as what had been said a minute ago finally registered in her brain. '_**Wait a minute... Wave Country? But... th-that's on the c-coast... coast... of... the o-ocean...**_' She went wide-eyed and ridged.

"Don't be so melodramatic, Naruto." Sarutobi chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "Alright. Then you can send in the client." He pointed behind the group, who turned to look at the door to the room.

The door slid open, and a somewhat ragged-looking old man with glasses and a backpack staggered in to brace himself in the door frame.

"What the-? It's just a bunch of snot-nosed brats!" The man mumbled with a fair amount of annoyance in his voice as he brought up a bottle he was holding to take several long chugs on it.

'_Ok... He's a little off of what I might have expected._' Naruto pursed his lips a bit in reserved thought.

'_Oh no, this guy's a drinker?_' Sakura thought with displeasure as her shoulders slumped. '_This is a bad sign to start out on._'

'_... If he wasn't at least somewhat important, he wouldn't be hiring ninja._' Sasuke thought without any reaction. '_And he's my first 'real' client. I'll need to pay attention on this mission, just in case something happens._' He lifted his head up slightly in anticipation of some serious work for a change.

"And you, the midget blonde in the disgusting orange suit," The old man continued after lowering his bottle again, "You really expect me to believe you're a ninja?" The man, obviously somewhat drunk, raised his bottle again, seemingly oblivious to the visual evidence of the Hitai-ate on Naruto's head. And the kunai and shuriken holsters on each leg. And the two ninkits on the back of his belts. And the sturdy backpack. Well, you know what they say, the eyes are the first to go.

'_A midget, am I?_' Naruto's eye twitched as Kyaena sniggled at the comment, which was one of her own favorite topics to tease Naruto about.

_**Whoosh-thunk-CRASH**_

"AHH!" The man gave a yell as a shuriken hit the doorframe not even a scant inch to the right of his ear, and his bottle shattered, dumping the remaining liquid over him as he quickly stepped away from the now broken glass. He froze when the small bit of rope that had been tied around his head like a cheap headband dropped over his nose.

"Naruto! You're not supposed to attack the man you're supposed to protect!" Kakashi scolded, but refrained from doing anything unseemly. After all, he was a jounin. An elite. Not some short tempered genin like Naruto. He had an image to maintain.

"I wasn't attacking him!" Naruto gave a huge foxy grin. "He would be dead if I had. I was just giving him a demonstration of the skills he was paying for!" He chuckled.

Sarutobi tried to hide behind his hat as Iruka thumped his head on the table a few times.

"Uhh... Th-thats... (ahem), that's alright." The man stuttered as he reached up to check himself, pulling two or three cut hairs from around his ear. But no blood. He pocketed the piece of rope as he adjusted his glasses a bit. "Well, my name is Tazuna and I'm a master bridge builder. You will be escorting me back to my home in the Land of Waves where I'm building my next bridge." Tazuna paused, then straightened up, completely serious, despite still being slightly wet from his drink. "No, that's not quite accurate. It's not just my next bridge, it's the most important bridge I've ever built. I have to get back safely to complete it, and you will protect me to do so, even if it costs you your lives!" He glared down at the youths.

Naturally, the three had their opinions.

'_Wait a minute... Something about that statement sounded wrong..._' Naruto frowned slightly to himself.

'_So this really is going to be a real mission. Finally._' Sasuke almost smirked. Almost.

'_I CAN'T BELIEVE NARUTO ATTACKED HIM! He is in SO much trouble!_' Sakura and inner Sakura screamed out with a vicious eye-tick as she glared at the preoccupied blonde.

"Well then." Kakashi shrugged as he scratched at the back of his neck. It had become a nervous habit ever since the itching powder incident. "We'll meet you at the east gate in an hour."

"Make it two hours. And don't be late." Tazuna huffed as he turned to leave. Everyone looked at Kakashi, who sweat-dropped.

"Wait a minute, you seem to be in a hurry, yet you ask for two hours?" Sakura asked in confusion.

Tazuna paused and shot Naruto a glare.

"I need to wash." He picked at his shirt, then left the room to go find a place to wash up.

"Way to go, idiot!" Sakura snapped at Naruto, who just blinked at her. "That's not the kind of first impression you're supposed to give to a client!" She hissed.

"Well excuse me if I think it's inappropriate for the guy were supposed to be guarding to be drunk!" Naruto shot back. "If he's really so concerned for his own safety, then why jeopardize it by impairing his senses, and making it harder for us to guard him?" He jerked a thumb over his shoulder in the direction Tazuna had gone.

Sakura opened her mouth, but then shut it again. She got red-faces with anger as she fought to keep from fighting in front of the Hokage.

"Narutooooo..." She hissed outwardly. '_Why would him being right get me mad? This is SO frustrating!_' She fumed inwardly. '_I've been trying to be nice to him, yet it seems everything he says or does sets me off!_' She caught herself from tapping her foot.

"Alright, that's enough for now." Kakashi waved them down. "So, get going and pack for a trip that might last two weeks or longer. Make sure you bring enough supplies and weapons." The jounin looked at Naruto's gear-laden body. "Err... And as for you Naruto... Just make sure you bring enough food."

"No problem! This will be the perfect chance to test the ramen-flavored rations I got!" Naruto grinned, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Ramen flavored... Who in the world would want to make rations that taste like-" Sakura paused when she saw Naruto smirk in a direction past her. She turned to see Kakashi and Sasuke staring over at Sarutobi who seemed to be extraordinarily interested in cleaning his pipe. Her eye twitched. "Iruka-sensei, could you talk some sense..." She trailed off when she noticed Iruka fidgeting and studying the ceiling. "You've got to be kidding me..." She growled as her balled fists shook at her sides.

"If you don't want to try it, that's fine. More for me!" Naruto chuckled, giving a thumbs-up to the two men that had helped him with the edible experiment.

"Yes, fine, shouldn't you be going already?" Sarutobi mumbled behind his hat.

"We have other teams and ninja to give assignments, you know." Iruka pointed out while seeming to be fascinated with his pen.

"Yes, yes, that's fine. Ok you three, out! Out, out!" Kakashi shooed his students out of the room and into the hallway, walking past other ninja that were waiting to go in to report to the Hokage. Once he had them out of the foot traffic, he paused them. "Ok, you know what to do. Go home, pack, east gate, two hours. And before you even say anything Sakura," He held up a stopping hand, "You don't have to worry. I'll be on time. Later!" Kakashi seemed to simply vanish in a blur.

The three genin stood blinking at the empty spot where their sensei had been only a second before, until Naruto gave a slight cough.

"I've got a hundred that says he'll still be late, even if it's only by a few minutes instead of a few hours." The blonde offered casually.

"I'm in. He's a moron when on our personal schedule, but this is a serious matter. I say he'll be exactly on time." Sasuke shrugged.

"What? You two can't be serious!" Sakura gaped at the two boys who just stared at her. After a moment, she turned slightly red. "Fine. I say he's at least an hour late." She mumbled under her breath.

The three split up to go to their own ways, and Naruto raced back to his apartment, where he quickly went down into his building's lower level, that is, the sealed-off ground floor warehouse, to re-organize his supplies.

He had his various packs laid out on a large table. His backpack, ninkits, kunai and shuriken holsters. All around him, on other tables, on racks, on the walls, on racks on the walls, in packed crates and boxes, were weapons and tools and ninja equipment of every variety that Naruto had managed to get his hands on in the past six or so years. And it was quite a collection. But interestingly enough, a great deal of it, that is, the shuriken and kunai and other basic weapons, he didn't even have to buy them. All he did was spend the nights of the week going to different training zones, collecting all the equipment that others lost, or left behind. It really was astonishing how careless, in both senses of the word, that other ninja could be. The things he had to get himself were things like explosive notes, or smelling salts. The kinds of things that you couldn't get second-hand, since to use them... well, would use them. You get the idea.

Naruto was quickly trying to figure out how to best fit his selected gear back into his backpack around the two compact boxes of food rations he had added. He had to make sure everything was packed in order of priority. That is, when he was wearing it, battle related items had to be the easiest to reach, with other items buried deeper in the pack that he could bother to take the time to dig out when not fighting for his life. So they could be placed dead center in the pack, where they would be hardest to reach. The problem was how to make everything else fit around them. Since each ration was supposed to give you the nutrition to last you three days, the twenty he had packed would last him two months, in theory.

'_But then, if this lasts more than two months, then there's probably something wrong._' Naruto chuckled. '_I'm finding this a little hard to believe. I was definitely not expecting the Old-Man to give us a C-rank yet._' He shrugged to himself

"**Well, ah, Naru-kun,**" Kyaena cleared her throat cautiously, "**There's nothing saying you HAVE to accept the mission. You could always wait if you don't feel you're ready.**" She offered innocently. A little too innocently.

'_I didn't say I don't feel ready, I just said I wasn't expecting it. Besides, it was Kakashi-s-sensei,_' Naruto's mouth twitched at his still hesitancy to address the cyclops in such a manner, '_It was his decision that the team take the mission, and it's already done with, so I can't really back out now. Besides,_' Naruto grimaced slightly, '_There's no way I would give Duck-Butt any opportunity to call me a coward if I tried._'

"**Understandable.**" Kyaena growled briefly, then flicked at her ear with a tail. "**But still, you don't want to be reckless. That man Tazuna hardly seems like someone you should risk your life over.**"

Naruto paused in his packing to frown.

'_Yeah, and that statement still seems wrong for some reason._' He wondered as he put a pack of explosive tags into one of his ninkits.

"**And the Land of Waves has terrible weather this time of year, I hear.**" Kyaena continued in a strange manner as if she hadn't heard Naruto. "**It's humid and muggy, with lots of fog that just gets in the way of everything.**"

'_It's an island country almost completely surrounded by ocean. Of course it's going to be a bit moist, no matter what time of year it is._' Naruto commented as he was strapping his shuriken holsters onto his legs.

"**Y-yeah. The... o-ocean.**" Kyaena gulped. "**Say, Naru-kun, you're still going to have a little time before heading out. Why don't you practice your water walking while you wait?**" She suggested, though her voice seemed a little higher than normal.

Naruto stopped with his kunai holsters in hand with a totally confused look on his face.

'_My __**water walking**__!? Kya-chan, I mastered that years ago! It's so automatic for me now that I can't fall in water unless I consciously choose to!_' Naruto stated with a bit of irritation. '_What's with you? You're always saying that I'm tough enough to take on more stuff than most others, yet as soon as something a little tougher __**does **__come up, you start lead-footing, almost as if..._' Naruto trailed off as his eyes widened. Kyaena whined as she cringed back in her admittedly comfortable confinement. '_You're... afraid?_' Naruto was struggling to breath through his shock. '_B-but, your NEVER afraid! Of ANYTHING!_'

"**EXCEPT THE OCEAN!**" Kyaena screamed out with a sob.

Naruto dropped his kunai as he fell back onto his butt.

'_No, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening! You're never afraid! Because there's nothing that can hurt you! Your a force of nature!_' Naruto's jaw was hanging open, and his eyes were bulging out.

"**Remember the lesson: 'The only thing that can match a force of nature is...?**'" Kyaena prompted as she pawed at a tail in embarrassment..

'_Another force of nature._' Naruto responded automatically, before catching himself. '_Wait, what? How does that apply!? How can you sit there and tell me, after all the times you've had me go fishing, or swimming, let alone the waterfalls in my chakra control training, you're telling me you're afraid of __**water**__!?_' Naruto's mental voice shouted as he jumped back up and furiously strapped on his kunai holsters.

"**No, I did NOT say I'm afraid of **_**water**_**, I said I'm afraid of the OCEAN.**" Kyaena snapped back with indignation. "**Rivers, streams, waterfalls, even lakes. Those are easy. No problem. Because they're small, limited. I can see and/or touch the bottoms. I could boil them away, or just step over them. Hell, even I admit that I love a good hot-spring soak now and again. The sulfur does wonders for me.**" She swallowed a nervous lump. "**But the ocean... is different. It's... huge. Effectively limitless. Deep. Cold. Merciless. Deep. Unpredictable. Cold. Filled with things that could eat me as easily as I could eat them. ... ... Did I mention deep and cold?**" She fidgeted with her claws a bit.

'_Oh come on! You are, for all practical examples, a living volcano with fur! You-_' Naruto quickly attached his two ninkits to the back of his weighted belt.

"**Even volcanoes drown in the ocean! That's how islands are created, remember!?**" Kyaena screeched before burying herself in pillows, with only her muzzle poking out. "**The volcano tries to burn, tries to rise up and spread it's fire to the heavens... and the deep, dark water crushes down, smothering the heat... freezing the fire... trapping it in a tomb of rock... killing it.**" She whimpered.

Naruto paused as he was closing up his backpack.

'_... You had to stand by and watch someone drown, didn't you?_' Naruto's face fell.

"**No... Not exactly. It's just... Demons may be extremely long-lived, we may be tougher than most creatures, we may have powers and magic that humanity lost touch with millennia ago... but we're not immortal, despite what humans think.**" Kyaena shuddered. "**And It's terrifying to face something that reminds me of that fact. The ocean is one of the only things in the world that really could kill me. Please promise that you won't go swimming in the ocean, Naru-kun.**"

Naruto pulled on his backpack and set about straightening up the loose equipment before he could leave his apartment.

'_Absolutely. And you know that there's nothing in this world that can make me break a promise!_' He smirked.

* * *

Sakura had gotten back to her house, and was finishing her own backpack packing. Even as she was stuffing an extra change of cloths and her own rations into her pack in the kitchen, her mother happened to come in.

Mebuki Haruno, being a retired special jounin, instantly took notice of Sakura's backpack.

"Sakura, honey? Where are you going? I was going to start lunch in a few minutes." Mebuki stated as she set down the bag of groceries she was holding.

"Sorry mother, but I don't think I have time for it, but I already had a sandwich." Sakura said as she buttoned up her pack. "I'm going to be gone for awhile, on my next mission."

"What mission? Didn't you just have a mission this morning?" Mebuki asked worriedly. "Why do you need that much?" She pointed at the backpack that Sakura pulled onto her shoulders.

"It's a security escort mission to Wave Country." Sakura explained.

"An escort... But that's-" Mebuki's eyes widened.

"Yeah, its a C-rank, and it might last two weeks or more-" Sakura was saying, reaching for a carrot on the counter.

"WHAT!? But you're not ready for a C-rank yet!" Mebuki snapped in blatant disapproval.

Sakura froze wide-eyed for a moment, before drawing up stiffly.

"Well, Kakashi-sensei thinks we're ready." She retorted angrily.

"... Hatake-sempai requested it?" Mebuki asked cautiously after a moment.

"He accepted it when Hokage-sama asked him if he thought we were ready." Sakura corrected.

Mebuki seemed to relax a bit.

"Sorry. I'm just surprised. I guess I haven't been paying attention lately, to not have noticed if you progressed this far already." Mebuki sighed, then chuckled a bit. "Then again, my mother didn't want to see it either." Mebuki's face turned serious. "Just remember though, even though you're 'legally' an adult, you're still going to have some growing up to do in time. Things are going to get harder and harder, and there are going to be very... upsetting matters, eventually." Mebuki said solemnly. "Make sure you listen to Hatake-sempai, and you can always talk to me about anything."

"... Uh, ok." Sakura cleared her throat awkwardly. "But I don't think there's anything to worry about on this. It's just one old man we're going to be escorting. Although," She made a face, "I think he's a drinker. He seemed half-drunk in the mission briefing room... That is, until Naruto sobered him up." She couldn't help but smirk slightly at the thought.

Tension slapped Mebuki like a rock across the skull.

"Sakura..." Mebuki stepped up close to Sakura, who took a step back on reflex. "You're going to be away from the village... with Uzumaki. Be very, very careful, and don't let yourself be alone with him. Make sure Hatake-sempai or Uchiha-dono is always within earshot." Mebuki ordered.

"Why!?" Sakura snapped. "Why in the world are you so afraid of Naruto? Sure he's excentric, and way too loud, and he's hard to understand even on the best of days, but he's a goof-ball otherwise!" Sakura fumed. "If you just tell me-"

"No! Don't ever ask that!" Mebuki shouted with increasing impatience.

"Well I can't do what you want! I have to obey orders, and if during the mission, Kakashi-sensei orders Naruto and me to do something-" Sakura tried to argue.

"Then refuse! And if Hatake-sempai asks why, tell him because I said so!" Mebuki was hitting full-on 'mad mother' mode. "I'll deal with any problems with him once you get back!"

"You're going to get me in trouble!" Sakura yelled. "And although Kakashi-sensei does seem interested in Naruto, he doesn't seem to think he's dangerous! If I try to do what you're telling me to, it will be the same as saying that I don't trust my sensei's judgment!" Sakura said, though it reminded her of what Naruto had said after the bell test. '_Naruto said to always think twice about what Kakashi-sensei says, but it wouldn't make sense to say that in regards to himself, would it?_' She wondered in confusion.

"No it won't! Hatake-sempai will know why! You have to listen to me!" Mebuki shouted.

"How can I listen if you won't tell me why!?" Sakura screamed. "Forget it! I've got to get going or I'll be late!" Sakura yelled as she ran out of the room.

"Sakura! Get back here!" Mebuki shouted as she started to follow, but stopped when she heard the door slam. She sighed and slowly sat down, putting her face in her hands. '_I'm sorry, Sakura. I wish I could tell you, but we'd both be punished if I did. I'm only trying to make sure you're safe._' She thought to herself as she looked up at the pictures of her family on the wall. '_Naruto Uzumaki. If only I knew more, if only I could be more sure about what is or isn't, one way or the other. I just don't know how to feel about you, so all I can do is try to prepare for the worst, and look out for Sakura._' Mebuki stood up and went back to put away the groceries and make her own lunch. '_But then again, the worst would mean the obliteration of the entire village, and my efforts would be meaningless. I just need something, something to help me understand what you are, Uzumaki. I just don't know. But I wish I did..._'

* * *

Sasuke was packing his backpack in his own, private apartment. It was on the opposite side of the village from the old Uchiha compound. It was the best he could do, despite not being far enough away for his tastes. It was also quite spacious. Not as much as Naruto's apartment, since that was an entire building, but Sasuke's apartment was as big as any high-paid jounin would take, and it had been given to him as a gift. No strings attached. Sasuke didn't even have to pay rent or for utilities.

Sasuke zipped up his pack as he took one glance around his nearly empty bedroom that was devoid of any personal or sentimental objects. He considered for a moment to think if he had forgotten anything. Deciding he had what he needed, he pulled on the pack.

'_Maybe this mission will be an opportunity to get a few answers._' He thought to himself as he exited his apartment, locking the door. '_And maybe something more than that, as well._' He began thinking up plans to squeeze as many benefits for himself out of the mission as he could.

He headed onward to the east gate.

* * *

Tazuna and Naruto were already at the east gate as they waited. Tazuna didn't really feel like talking as he adjusted his new straw hat, and Naruto was keeping an eye on the time in order to see if Kakashi was going to be late.

Naruto looked up when Sakura and Sasuke approached, but before he could even say anything, Sakura came up and bashed him on the head.

"OW! What was that for!?" Naruto yelled, staggering a bit as he held his head.

"Nothing!" Sakura snapped, turning away with a huff. "This is a serious mission, so I just figured I'd get it out of the way now!"

Naruto stared at the pink haired girl incredulously as Kyaena clicked her tongue.

"**So now she's hurting you as a matter of practice!**" Kyaena snarled as a scraping sound punctuated her statement. "**That's a major mark for her record of cruelty!**"

'_Muzzle it._' Naruto snapped, then checked his clock in his jacket collar. "Ok guys, he's only got two more minutes before he's late!" Naruto announced.

"He'll be here." Sasuke stated simply as he turned away carelessly.

"Sure, he'll be here, but he'll be laaaaaate." Naruto smirked.

"What are you talking about?" Tazuna asked with slight irritation.

"Oh, nothing. We just had a little bet about how late Kakashi is going to be this time." Naruto shrugged as he watched his clock count down. "He has an average of two and a half hours."

"WHAT!?" Tazuna shouted.

"Don't worry, Tazuna-san, he'll be here... eventually." Sakura stated, trying to compose herself. '_Damn it, mom, why'd you have to get me so angry!? This is just going to make things tougher! This is a bad way to start a mission!_' She fumed to herself. '_And I didn't want to hit Naruto! I'm supposed to be trying to be nicer to him!'_

"Ten seconds..." Naruto stated. "... Five... ... That's it, he's officially late." Naruto smirked as Sasuke huffed and tossed him a crumpled up ryo note. Naruto turned a wary glance to Sakura. "Ok, so it's between you and me now. I said he'll be along soon, you said it will be at least another hour."

"I remember, idiot!" Sakura hissed with an eye twitch as her hand reflexively reached into her pocket. She didn't really have all that much money most of the time, and the hundred in her pocket was no small chunk of her allowance. '_I can't believe I agreed to this._' She thought sourly.

"Ok, Ok! Jeez, take it easy!" Naruto took a step back.

The group only stood in silence for a minute before a figure seemed to drop out of the sky from nowhere.

"Yo! Am I interrupting anything?" Kakashi waved merrily. When nobody said anything, but rather, Sakura stomped over and slapped Naruto in the chest, dropping some ryo in the process, Kakashi blinked. "Or did I miss something?"

"Ah, nothing." Naruto quickly pocketed the money.

"Hmm. Well, ok then, we'd better get going." Kakashi shrugged, and waved them on casually.

The group started out of the gate, but they hadn't even gone a hundred steps when Sakura noticed Naruto had stopped.

"Hey, Naruto! Move it already!" Sakura yelled.

Kakashi, however, noticed how Naruto was looking back up at the gate. The jounin walked over next to the blonde.

"Are you ok, Naruto?" Kakashi asked quietly, not wanting the others to hear.

"Yeah. It's just... a little strange. This is the first time I've ever been outside the walls." Naruto muttered. "Kyaena-chan tried for years to get me to leave the village-" Naruto didn't notice Kakashi tense up, "-And now that I am going to be gone, at least for a while, she almost didn't want me to go."

"Oh? Why is that?" Kakashi asked with some surprise.

"Well, when I told her where I was going-" Naruto started to say.

"**Whoa, wait, hold it!**" Kyaena jumped up. "**You're not going to tell him-!**"

"-She had a bit of an anxiety attack. It turns out that Kyaena-chan is afraid of the ocean, and was less than thrilled about me going to an island country." Naruto sighed. Kakashi's eye widened.

"**WHAAATT!? You told him!? How could you!?**" Kyaena screamed out in hurt.

"Hmm. So I guess that means she wasn't going to come see you off." Kakashi rubbed his chin a bit as he glanced back into the village.

"No, she wasn't. Not that I would have expected her to. Pervert." Naruto huffed as he turned to walk on. Ever since he had found out Kakashi thought he really had met Kyaena that day of the bell test, he had been having lots of fun denying the jounin's attempts to try to meet her again. And fortunately, Sakura had seemed to have forgotten what he had told her about it, that it was his Transformation Jutsu. He wanted to milk the joke over Kakashi's head for as long as he could.

"Oh come on!" Kakashi nearly whined as he followed along. "She can't possibly _still _be mad about that! I thought you explained to her what happened!"

"Sorry Kakashi, but you should have been more careful with your first impression!" Naruto shrugged. "Now let's get going! Hitting the road! Seeing the world!" He shouted out eagerly. "Ain't nothing going to stand in our way!"

Tazuna glared at the blonde before turning to Kakashi.

"Are you kidding me? Am I really supposed to trust my life to this runt? He's a joke!" Tazuna snorted as he pulled a bottle from his backpack. But before he could take a drink, he noticed Naruto eyeing him and fingering a kunai that had appeared in his hand. With a gulp, Tazuna quickly put the bottle away.

"You don't have to worry. I'm an elite jounin, and I'm coming along too." Kakashi said with slight amusement at the exchange.

"What the heck is your problem?" Naruto snapped as he put the kunai away. "Do you really think it's such a good idea to keep insulting a ninja? Let alone one that's going to be Hokage one day? Even if it is a job to stick around you, the least you could do is try to show a little respect for our skill!" Naruto growled.

"Ha! You, becoming Hokage?" Tazuna scoffed. "The Hokage is supposed to be powerful and wise. You are puny and brainless. I wouldn't respect a little snot like you even if you become Hokage ten times over, because to me you'd still be nothing. I'd sooner sprout wings and fly." The engineer turned and walked on.

"You wanna fly!?" Naruto shouted angrily as he started forward. "It doesn't take wings, just my foot up your ass!" He tried to rush forward, but was stopped by Kakashi, rather difficultly, holding onto his backpack.

"Stop it Naruto, you can't attack the man you're supposed to protect." Kakashi sighed with embarrassment. '_Well, this is going to be a fun mission._' He grumped to himself.

After that little outburst, the group moved on at a brisk pace. Naruto keeping ahead of the others, grumbling with the occasional glance back at the elder man, who kept trying to sneak out his bottle for a drink, but with little success. The lull was interrupted by the only person present who was sporting roman-twenty-jeans, and didn't even wear a belt.

"Excuse me, Tazuna-san," Sakura said. "But your country is the Land of Waves, right?"

"Yeah, what of it?" The old man grumphed.

"Kakashi-sensei, aren't there ninja in that country?" Sakura asked to her teacher.

"Oh, yeah, sure, there are TONS of ninja in that country!" Naruto's sarcastic voice reached back to the others. "That's why he had to come and hire some from Konoha! Jeez!"

"I wasn't asking you!" Sakura shouted back with an vein throbbing on her forehead. "How would you know anyway!?"

"Geography may have been one of Iruka-sensei's more boring classes," Naruto shrugged, "But it's an important field of knowledge for a ninja!"

Kakashi decided to intervene before things got out of control.

"Settle down you two." He ordered before addressing Sakura. "But Naruto is correct. There are no ninja in the Land of Waves. But as a general rule, even with all the differences that exist in local customs and cultures, most other lands have their own hidden villages where ninja reside. For most countries, the hidden villages represent military strength-"

Naruto tuned out Kakashi's continuing explanation as he turned his thoughts inward.

'_That was a little odd. With her high grades, I thought Sakura-san would have known about the lands that have their own ninja villages or not._' Naruto thought in consideration. But only silence answered him. '_Kya-chan? Did you hear me?_' He asked, but still heard no reply. '_Hey, is something wrong?_'

"**I can't believe you TOLD him about my fear!**" Kyaena growled out at last. Naruto resisted the urge to flinch.

'_I'm sorry, I didn't mean anything, I was just talking._' Naruto apologized.

"**I'm the queen of all kitsune!**" Kyaena ranted. "**I'm a para-elemental fire demon! I'm feared and respected throughout both worlds! My power is the heart of stories and legends throughout time! And you go and make me sound like a-**"

_'Person._' Naruto interrupted. '_I made you sound like a person. A real person. I'm sorry if you didn't want me blabbing about your fear, but by telling Kakashi that, which he'll probably tell others when he talks about you, it makes you sound more normal, more realistic._' Naruto explained. '_You know it's been getting harder talking to Old-Man-Hokage and Iruka-sensei about you, and why you're never around. Every little bit that helps make you seem more real... Well, I mean of course you're real, but to make you seem more human-_'

"**Now you're insulting me!**" Kyaena snarled with her fur fluffing slightly.

'_Damn it, Kya-chan! What do you want me to do? Say: 'Oh, sorry, you can't meet my friend face to face because she's sealed inside my guts!?_'' Naruto snapped in annoyance. '_I can just imagine the old man's reaction to that! Well I'm so sorry for trying to keep us from being dissected by the irrationally paranoid tail-hunters who would love to have the opportunity to torture you!_' Naruto growled as his steps became harder, almost stomping along.

Kyaena was silent for a moment.

"**... I still don't have to like it. It is MY fear we're talking about, after all.**" She grumbled, though mollified from the legitimate reasoning from her container.

'_Yeah... Ok, I'm sorry, alright?_' Naruto mumbled as he started listening to Kakashi again.

"-No ninja combat in a C-rank. So you don't have anything to worry about." The jounin eye-smiled as he patted Sakura on the head.

"Oh good. That's a relief." The pinkette smiled. "Say, out of curiosity, why are the five shinobi nations named the way they are? How did that get started?" She asked.

"Well, there are several popular stories that have a few different opinions about that." Kakashi said with some amused interest. "Some think the names just came from the obvious landscape qualities of each region, such as the Land of Wind's tendency of high winds of the desert sand storms." He gestured airily to their surroundings. "Then there are some that think that the nations wanted a symbolic name of power, so they each chose names in a way to associate themselves with one of the five natural elements-"

"Ten." Naruto commented without thinking.

Kakashi looked over at Naruto with a bit of surprise.

"What was that, Naruto?" The jounin asked.

"Ten. I said ten." Naruto continued in a bored tone, not even looking back at them.

"Ten what?" Kakashi asked.

"There are ten elements. Well," Naruto paused to correct himself, "Ten, plus one more as of yet un-finalized one. One that hasn't really been agreed upon by the various-"

"Naruto! What in the world are you talking about?!" Sakura yelled out of habit.

"Now hold on a minute." Kakashi held up a halting hand to forestall the girl's usual outbursts. This was something he wanted to hear. "Naruto, who told you there were ten elements?"

"Kyaena-chan, of course." Naruto replied, slowing his step a bit to fall in line with the others.

"And why did she tell you that?" Kakashi continued.

"Uh, because she had to?" Naruto said with sarcastic confusion at the question. "Kinda hard for her to teach me about elemental energy without talking about elements."

'_That's right... He found out his elements from Iruka, so she's probably been helping him with it the last couple months._' Kakashi realized. '_But why hasn't he asked me about it? And why hasn't he shown any evidence of that during our training sessions?_' He tried to keep his face unreadable. A pretty easy thing for him.

"Teaching you?" Sasuke spoke up for the first time since they left the village. "It's no wonder you're so-"

"SO, Naruto," Kakashi spoke up, giving Sasuke a momentary glare to which the Uchiha just looked away with a frown. "Perhaps you could tell us about what you've been learning about these 'other elements'. It's something to pass the time, anyway." He shrugged to the blonde, who seemed a bit taken aback by the suggestion.

"I..." Naruto hesitated.

"**Don't do it, Naru-kun. I don't want that Uchiha filth knowing anything important.**" Kyaena warned with a low growling hiss.

"Unless you're just bragging like usual, and don't know what you're talking about, like usual." Sakura scoffed. It may have sounded like an insult, but in truth she was actually just trying to bait him to go along with it, in a way she was fairly certain would work. She was curious about the elements, and Kyaena's teachings, as well.

"**What are you waiting for!?**" Kyaena snapped angrily. "**Go ahead and show these puny parasites what a genius you are! Stuff Pinky's words down her throat!**" She hissed as she whipped her tails around.

Naruto had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at his friend's 180.

"Fine. You obviously know about five of the elements, wind, fire, earth, water and lightning, right? Everyone knows them. Well the five everyone else always seem to overlook are light, darkness, metal, crystal and 'wood', or the natural life force energy of the world that takes the form of plants." Naruto began.

"Wood? That was the legendary power of the Shodai!" Sakura's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yeah it is. So it's a little confusing to me why no one realizes that it's supposed to be included." Naruto shrugged.

"How the hell could plants be considered an element?" Sasuke demanded in irritation. '_The more I keep him talking, the more insight I get into how to keep him in his place._' He thought, trying to plan ahead.

"The term 'element', in this case, refers to the naturally occurring parts or qualities of the world that exist independently of human influence, that is, the things have existed long before humanity came around, and continue to exist regardless of what we do." Naruto said, a bit smug that he knew a little... ok, make that a lot more, than the Uchiha. "And the trees and grass have been around a lot longer than you. So why don't you just listen and do what you do best, be quiet."

"Don't tell Sasuke-kun to be quiet!" Sakura snapped out of reflex.

"HEY! _You _guys asked _me_to explain this, and I can't do that if you keep interrupting me!" Naruto shouted back. After a moment of silence, he resumed. "Ok then. Metal is not the same as stone, so is separate from the earth element category..."

Kakashi sighed at the exchange as Naruto continued, and Tazuna was taking the opportunity of Naruto's distraction to sneak a drink or two.

* * *

In Konoha, at the grand hot springs/bathing complex, Tetsuko was, with some reluctance, making use of the sudden off-duty time she had found herself with. She had come from a meeting with the Hokage, where she had been informed that Naruto's team had left the village on a mission. With no other pressing ANBU matters to deal with at the moment, Sarutobi had suggested she 'take the opportunity to rest from Naruto's hyperactive schedule'.

It wasn't that Tetsuko disagreed or disapproved of the break, she just didn't like the idea of having to rely on Kakashi's report for observations about Naruto. And she also wasn't sure that the team, or Naruto, was ready for a C-rank after only two-and-a-half/three months of training. It wasn't the physical part she was worried about... It was the mental part.

Tetsuko left the soothing heat of the spring bath area as she headed into the showers. She entered the tiled wash area, noting the complete lack of other people, save for a single long haired woman who was alone under one of the shower heads. But as Tetsuko glanced around, the rest of the area was still all wet, as if it had been active just a few minutes ago before everyone abruptly left. Looking up, she couldn't see anything obviously wrong with the shower heads or the temperature knobs.

"Excuse me, is-" Tetsuko approached the other woman.

"What do you-!?" The woman started to shout but stopped when she saw her company.

"Oh, it's you." Tetsuko blinked in surprise when she recognized the fellow kunoichi that she had gotten to know a little in the past months. She didn't know if she could call them friends yet, but they had yet to have any problems with each other. Mostly due to their shared distaste for Kakashi.

"... What?" The kunoichi frowned after a moment.

"Wha-, oh, sorry." Tetsuko apologized when she realized she had been staring. "For a minute there, I didn't recognize you. What with your-"

"Yeah, whatever." The kunoichi sighed as she resumed to what she had been doing, trying to get a knot out of her jet-black hair that hung down to her shoulder blades.

"Well, as I was about to ask, is there something wrong with some of these showers? It looks like-" Tetsuko asked as she cautiously turned on a shower for herself.

"No, there's nothing wrong with the showers." The kunoichi answered stiffly, combing fiercely at her hair. Tetsuko coughed slightly. "What about you? Did Naruto run through a stinkweed field, or did he pass out again while training to give you enough time for a hot spring break? That hyperactive boy never sits still." The kunoichi asked as she rinsed her hair.

"No, neither... this time." Tetsuko snipped with slight annoyance in her voice. "Squad seven left the village earlier today on a C-rank mission." She adjusted the water temperature to her liking.

"What!?" The kunoichi spun around to glare in shock. "Hatake took them on a C-rank!? But they've only been active for barely three months-"

"Believe me, I feel the same, but there are two things you have to keep in mind. One, it was Hokage-sama that offered them the chance." Tetsuko said as she was rinsing.

"... It was?" The other kunoichi blinked with hesitant surprise.

"Yes. After Naruto-kun lost his temper over the D-ranks, Hokage-sama asked Hatake if he thought the team was ready for a C-rank." Tetsuko confirmed.

"Oh, of course." The kunoichi snorted. "I should have known Naruto would blow his top over those ridiculous chores." She shook her head. Then she frowned. "But Hatake still shouldn't have accepted it. I doubt they were ready for it."

"And that's the second thing." Tetsuko sighed. "No matter how much we may disagree with it, Hatake IS their sensei. It's his call on whether or not he thought they were ready." The off-duty ANBU said as she examined her fingernails to see if they needed trimming.

"Perverted lazy-ass slime bucket." The kunoichi hissed quietly. "It should have been me. And it _would _have been me if Naruto wasn't so damn... honorable." She muttered. "Hey, toss me the shampoo."

"Truthfully, I don't know whether that's a good trait for him or not, being a ninja after all." Tetsuko pondered as she reached for a red bottle on a rack that was set up on the wall with various soaps for customers to use.

"No no, the purple one." The kunoichi corrected. "And I'm sure Naruto is perfectly aware of how to treat enemies, but is loyal to the village and his fellow leaf-nin." Her mouth twitched slightly. "A lesson more than a few people could learn from him."

"That's a possibility." Tetsuko conceded as she paused to look at the label of the bottle in her hand. She looked at her companion, then the bottle, then her companion again. "Oh, so that's why-" She tossed the bottle.

"Yeah, so what? It's not like it's anything bad." The kunoichi shrugged, catching the bottle and proceeding to start washing.

"Still, you could at least try a different type." Tetsuko offered as she took a bottle for herself from the rack.

"Why? This stuff works great. Mud, paint, blood... Hell, even gum. It can clean _anything _out your hair." The kunoichi smirked.

"No way, not _my _hair. I'm fine with it just the way it is." Tetsuko waved off in defense.

The two washed in silence for a moment before the kunoichi who had been there first turned to look at Tetsuko.

"Saaaaay..." She said in a sneaky voice that Tetsuko didn't like at all. "Being Naruto's sentinel, you wouldn't happen to have a key to his apartment, would you?"

"... No, but I know how to get in if it's an _emergency_." Tetsuko stressed the word, trying to head off a potential disaster.

"Hmm. Really?" The kunoichi smirked. "You know, it would be pretty funny if you were to switch this shampoo with his-"

"NO WAY!" Tetsuko shouted in slight panic, taking a step back. "If you want to risk your sanity, you go do it yourself! There is _no way _that you're going to talk me in to pulling _anything _on Konoha's Prince of Pranks!"

"Aww, come on! Do you have any idea how many people would praise you for pranking him? After all the ones he's pulled?" The kunoichi urged playfully.

"And do you know how many people have tried to prank him? One! Just one!" Tetsuko said with determination. "And why is that you may ask? It's because of what Naruto did to get back at that person afterward."

"What did he do?" The kunoichi asked with a curiously raised eyebrow.

"Do you remember the infamous day of The Great Paper Flush?" Tetsuko asked, and smirked when the other kunoichi paled. "Exactly. That's why no one is willing to risk trying to prank him. What Naruto does on his own to others can be pretty sneaky and imaginative, but they're nothing compared to what he does for payback!" Tetsuko shook her head in pity for any fool who would be so foolish. "Even his pranking rival classmate Kiba Inuzuka has never tried to get him!"

The kunoichi paused with a very unhappy thought.

"So he's all for getting payback for a stupid prank," She hissed in disapproval, "Yet he won't fight back when people try to kill him..."

Tetsuko shifted uncomfortably at the comment.

"I have a hard time understanding it too. But it's not so bad anymore. That bastard Mizuki was the last one to try." She said with a touch of hatred. "I think that now that he's a genin, no one is willing to risk it. They'd probably sooner try to prank him." Tetsuko blinked then glared. "But as I said, that's sanity-suicide. Naruto is merciless with payback."

"Well," The kunoichi cleared her throat and set her jaw in defiance, "We'd just have to make sure he never found out it was us!"

"What's this 'we' stuff? It won't work. He'd find out. Believe me, he'd find out, some way or another." Tetsuko warned.

"No way! Come on, we could do it!" The kunoichi pleaded.

"No!" Tetsuko refused.

"Please?"

"No!"

"Please!?"

"NO!"

* * *

Squad seven had been moving continuously as they listened to Naruto's explanation-turned-lecture about elemental qualities, despite the occasional interruption of his sneezing attacks.

Tazuna didn't know anything they were talking about, so didn't really listen. Instead, he tried to sneak drinks when Naruto wasn't looking, but had already lost all but his last bottle to the blonde's twitchy hands.

Sasuke had been keeping silent, but was getting frustrated at how hard it was for him to keep up with Naruto's explanations. Part of him wanted to just accuse Naruto of lying and making everything up, but with the way Kakashi was paying attention, he knew that such a wish was unlikely. So it just annoyed him all the more that Naruto seemed to know such advanced material.

Sakura was also being quiet, uncharacteristically so, but it was due to the fact that her jaw was hanging loose, and her eye's were threatening to pop out. Any doubts she had harbored in the past about Naruto's study habits were being slowly smashed away as she listened to her teammate's lecture, which although obviously covered very advanced theories that she would most likely forget later, she was drawn in to listen even easier than any of Iruka's classes.

Kakashi was stunned at the information coming out of Naruto regarding never-before-considered elements. He was trying hard to memorize everything his student was saying, so at least he could write it down if he got a few minutes to himself later. But this was proving difficult, considering that his mind kept wandering as he fantasized about how incredible the lovely Kyaena was for teaching Naruto so much, and how he would try to ask for 'private lessons' when they returned to the village. If Naruto would cooperate in helping him with the matter, that is.

Said blonde in question was nearing the end of his initial summaries, having covered most of the others, and finishing up his portion on crystals.

"-And it's because of that self-growth capacity that crystals can be considered a natural bridge between finite stone and living plants." Naruto was saying.

"Well, Naruto, I have never heard of any ninja, from anywhere, ever utilizing the crystal element. Or the metal element, for that matter." Kakashi commented thoughtfully.

"Just because it's rare, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. According to Kyaena-chan, it's a fairly difficult element to control, since even a small amount of energy can cause crystals to grow exponentially." Naruto shook his head. "And metal is the opposite, being the most resistant to most forms of fast change beyond that of prolonged super-heat that makes it temporarily malleable."

"Hmm." Kakashi nodded. "When you started explaining these, you said there was ten elements, plus one more 'un-finalized' one? What was that?" Kakashi asked.

"Oh that. Well, there's a lot of debate about the concept that 'cold' is an element." Naruto continued. "Since there are parts of the world that are always naturally cold, some say that those places 'create' cold. Generate it somehow. But others argue that cold is only the lack of heat, or the absence of the fire element. But then the counter argument is that darkness could be considered only the absence of light, yet it is considered an independent element." He shrugged.

Kakashi was, overall, quite surprised by the whole situation. The longer Naruto talked, without negative interruption, the calmer and more focused he became. And the more Kakashi was seeing what he had suspected all along.

'_Now he is __**really **__like Minato-sensei._' Kakashi was thinking to himself. '_The serious, hard-working, genius of a ninja. It's almost like his usual hyper and loud self is only a reaction to the hostility and intolerance of others that pressure him. But if just given a little patience and respect, a whole other quality of him is allowed to emerge._' The jounin was trying to resist grinning like a maniac, even if you couldn't see it behind his mask. '_I wonder if this is how he is all the time when he's with Kyaena-chan?_' It was a pleasant thought, but it led to a less pleasant one. '_But then, it just means that Naruto can't be himself around others. I need to try to get him to open up more to us. I'll plan some more team exercises when we finish with this mission._' Kakashi decided to himself as he listened to his blonde underling, completely forgetting that it was those 'team exercises' that had led to the current situation to begin with.

"Another matter of debate is that so many confuse cold with ice, thereby mistakenly associating cold with water. Ice is water with cold applied to it, but is not the force of cold itself-" Naruto continued, but was interrupted by his true teacher.

"**Speaking of water, Naru-kun,**" Kyaena spoke up, "**Look over there. Ahead of you.**"

'_Huh? Where?_' Naruto paused and blinked to refocus his sight that had been on autopilot while he had been walking.

"**Right there. Isn't that a puddle?**" Kyaena asked with mischief in mind.

'_What? A puddle?_' Naruto peered ahead.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked questioningly. "Is something wrong? You just stopped talking suddenly." She blinked at her blonde teammate.

Kakashi looked to where Naruto was looking, and saw the puddle in the middle of the road.

"Hold that thought." Naruto held up a waiting finger to Sakura without even looking at her, then dashed off in a sprint.

"What!? Naruto what are you-" Sakura gave a startled squeak.

"Puddle**Puddle**Puddle**Puddle**Puddle**Puddle**Puddle**Puddle**Puddle**Puddle**Puddle**Puddle**!**!**!**!**" Naruto and Kyaena chattered in a delighted squeal as Naruto took a high jump into the air. "YEHAAAA!"

The others gave a collective sweat-drop.

'_That is one weird kid._' Tazuna thought.

'_What a loser..._' Sasuke frowned.

'_From sensei to clown in ten seconds or less. That's what I call predictable unpredictability._' Sakura thought with surprisingly subdued irritation, even as she fought down an amused smirk.

Kakashi only watched intently as Naruto's jump arc slowed, and he began coming down.

"Vile portal to the abyssal deep!" Naruto shouted as he was falling fast towards the puddle. "You shall be crushed in _da'feet_ of the great Na-"

Nine feet from impact, the puddle _moved_.

Naruto gave a squawk of surprise as he slammed into the ground with a tumble, rolled, and sprang back to his feet in time to see the puddle explode up as two figures appeared out of the water. They were fast, cloaked, and had some kind of chain between them attached to clawed metal gauntlets on one of each of their arms...

Everyone barely had time to gasp as the two unknown figures whipped the bladed chain around Kakashi with at least five loops and pulled it tight, pinning him in place.

"First for the wolf..." One of the two, both wearing mechanical masks and Hitai-ate, growled out. Then they pulled.

There was a tearing sound, a distortion, and _pieces _were shredded as they fell to the ground in a kick up of a dirt cloud.

Sakura screamed in horror, Tazuna gasped with a look of panic.

But Naruto stood limp and motionless, staring blankly at the obscured debris cloud.

"S-...Sensei...?" Naruto's voice was barely a whisper as a strange feeling washed over him. There was something wrong...

_Iruka, hunched protectively over Naruto, coughed up a trickle of blood that fell on the boys face from the giant shuriken in his back. "...If only I had been more responsible, maybe we wouldn't have come to this. I'm so sorry Naruto!" Iruka sobbed with tears._

Naruto didn't move, didn't speak, didn't blink.

"**Naru-kun! Naru-kun, what was that!? What's wrong!? NARU-KUN!**" Kyaena screamed out franticly, scrambling back and forth in the cage.

As the blonde stood motionless, he didn't even seem to notice when the two attacking ninja rushed around behind him, pulling their chain whipping towards him.

"And now for the sheep..." One of them chuckled with vicious maliciousness as they rushed at Naruto.

The sound of metal on metal brought them up short as Sasuke somersaulted through the air, throwing a shuriken that caught the chain in mid air, pinning it to a nearby tree at the side of the road. Sasuke chucked a kunai that intersected the shuriken through it's grip hole, effectively locking the shuriken and chain to the tree for the moment. The two ninja jerked to an abrupt stop barely six feet from Naruto as the chains were attached to each of their gauntlets.

"It won't come loose!" One of the two grunted as he tugged.

Naruto wasn't even aware of what was happening behind him.

'_Not supposed to be... no one... no one... only one... pain... one in pain... only one pain... no other... NO OTHER!_' Naruto's thoughts echoed through his body as his face began to contort, and his fists clenched. Kyaena was freaking out.

"**Naru-kun, snap out of it! You're under attack! You have to fight ba-... What's happening?**" She paused, despite the situation, when she felt Naruto's chakra beginning to surge, building up in his system... and it seemed to be pulling at hers as well, as trickles of her demonic chakra began to be drawn through the bars of the cage seal.

Sasuke had landed on the two momentarily stunned ninja, grabbing at their restrained arms and kicking them in their faces. Unfortunately, even as his kicks landed, his hands inadvertently hit the release mechanism on their gauntlets, letting them loose from the chain between them with a hefty _**chang**_. The two attackers immediately dashed around the two boys heading for Tazuna. Sakura, more from reflex than conscious thought, jumped in front of Tazuna with a drawn kunai in an attempt to defend him. Sasuke, seeing that they were going for their client, managed to leap/dash and place himself in front of Sakura to ward off the attacking pair. Only it wasn't the pair. One was still going for Tazuna, but the other had done a fake-out shift, and was charging back at Naruto.

But the sound of the chain release had finally got through to Naruto as he whirled around to confront his assailant with a guttural growl. With his focus back to the present, Kyaena finally identified the feeling that was building inside him.

Rage.

The ninja thrust out his clawed gauntlet hand, aiming at Naruto, but was surprised when Naruto lunged for _him_.

"YOU-!" Naruto growled as his left hand came up and grabbed the ninja's gauntleted right arm, getting a claw scratched to the back of his hand in the process. "MONSTER!" Naruto shouted as he crushed the gauntlet like a soda can, followed by a crunching snap sound of the enemy ninja's arm breaking just below the elbow as Naruto twisted it down. Naruto snarled at the screaming ninja with darkening eyes. "YOU-ARE-**DEAD!**" Naruto howled over the ninja's screams, his right fist heading towards the shocked ninja's face with enough chakra packed in it that it glowed faintly blue, even in the daylight...

_**WHAAAMM!**_

Naruto yelped as he tumbled forward, his haymaker punch whiffing through suddenly empty air and throwing him off balance. But he landed in a handspring and flipped up, whirling around to find his escaped prey...

Only to stop in surprise when he saw Kakashi standing calmly in the midst of their group, holding the two enemy ninja. One was held up from the waist under Kakashi's left arm, while his right arm was wrapped around the neck of the second one from where he had close-lined the man, thereby pulling him out of the path from Naruto's attack.

"Yo." Kakashi said casually.

"Kakashi-sensei! You're alive!" Sakura squealed in joyous relief as she lowered her kunai.

'_Hmph. He's just showing off..._' Sasuke glared at the jounin, but cast a moment's glance at Naruto.

Naruto was having a bit of trouble realizing what had happened, as his surprise had interrupted the flow of rage inside him. He blinked a few times as his mind refocused and he became aware.

'_Wait, but, I saw him get..._' Naruto thought in confusion as he spun around to where he had 'seen' Kakashi get killed, only to see a bunch of sliced up pieces of logs scattered on the ground. '_He... He used the Substitution Jutsu?_' He slowly stood up straight. '_Why the hell did he cut it so damn close?_'

"**Naru-kun! Naru-kun, are you ok!?**" Kyaena screamed franticly, making Naruto flinch slightly from the volume of her voice.

_'Yes! Yes, I'm fine! What is it? Are you ok?_' Naruto tried to calm the vehemently vexed vixen.

Before she could say anything further, Kakashi, who had been watching Naruto for a moment, cleared his throat.

"Naruto, I'm sorry I didn't step in sooner. I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt." Kakashi said as he looked the boy up and down in worry. '_When he froze up... That wasn't just regular shock or fear. There was something else. Something was wrong. He really was going to kill the man. He had a focused intent to kill..._' He thought with considerable concern. '_And his chakra... It spiked violently, but it seems it was too brief for the others to have noticed..._' He turned his attention to the other three. "But I guess things are ok now. Nice work in guarding our client you two. Good footwork." He nodded to the members of his squad.

Tazuna gulped slightly as he regarded everything, and was sweating a bit as Kakashi glanced at him.

Naruto took the pause to re-address his furry friend.

'_Kya-chan, what were you saying? Is there something wrong?_' He asked.

"**Something happened, Naru-kun. Your chakra surged up almost out of control. I was having trouble getting through to you. You were so **_**angry**_**.**" Kyaena, trying to keep calm, explained. "**There was some kind of flash, something in your memory that I didn't quite see. And there's something else. When your chakra surged, it-**"

"Hey." Sasuke called over to Naruto, interrupting his private conversation.

"Huh? What?" Naruto blinked looking over, but raised an eyebrow when he saw the look on his teammate's face.

"Did you get hurt?" Sasuke was full-on grinning, smirking and sneering all at once with an undisguised smugness of victory. "You scaredy cat!"

"... What?" Naruto narrowed his eyes at the other boy. Sakura was looking back and forth between them with apprehension.

"You finally showed what a coward you are." Sasuke's smirk became even sharper. "You totally froze with fear."

"WHAT!?" Naruto tensed up as his eye twitched in severe annoyance, and Kyaena let out vicious threatening growls. "I did not! How dare you-"

"SASUKE, STOP IT! NARUTO, CALM DOWN!" Kakashi shouted out with a loudness that was most unusual of him. "Naruto, you have to stay calm. Keep your heart rate down." He hefted the ninja in his arms once. "The claws of these ninja are poisoned. We need to get it out of you wound quickly."

Naruto gave Kakashi a confused look.

"What? What wound? I'm not-" Naruto stopped when he suddenly felt a numbing stinging sensation in his left hand. He brought it up and blinked in surprise at the moderate cut and blood on the back of his hand.

"We'll have to open the wound to let out the poison. Don't move around so much, or it will circulate in your blood." Kakashi was saying as he eyed a tree to tie the enemy ninja to. "By the way, Tazuna-san," He said over his shoulder with a slightly darker tone.

"Wh-what is it...?" The builder gulped nervously.

"We need to have a little talk." Kakashi toned as he set the two ninja's down at the base of a tree, pulling out some wire quickly as he proceeded to tie them up, being careful not to further damage the one ninja's broken arm and mangled gauntlet. '_Naruto's strength is almost unbelievable. That gauntlet looks like solid die-cast steel, and he crushed it like an egg._' Kakashi thought with slight awe, even as the two enemies were beginning to regain consciousness.

Sakura was edging closer to Naruto. She was looking at his wound, waiting for something...

Naruto was still examining his hand.

'_Poison? Well now, this is something we haven't had to deal with in a while._' He thought as he pulled his red kunai from his primary holster. Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"**See? You didn't even know you were hurt. We're lucky this isn't anything serious.**" Kyaena scolded as she directed her chakra into Naruto's arm, pushing back the poison that had been trying to spread, and isolating it all in his hand. "**I don't know where they got this poison, but it doesn't seem that bad. We need to sit down and try to figure out what happened just now, Naru-kun. We'll need some quiet time.**" She instructed as Naruto directed her chakra to begin to destroy the poison.

'_Alright. But I didn't notice anything strange. They attacked, I attacked back. That's how I saw it._' Naruto replied as he brought up his kunai and stabbed it into his wounded hand to accelerate the dissolution of the poison.

"AAHHH! NARUTO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" Sakura screamed at the unexpected action, causing everyone's attention to whip to the blonde, who looked up at the terrified pink haired girl in startlement.

"Naruto?" Kakashi question with wide-eyed surprised concern.

"What?" Naruto blinked innocently, even as he allowed blood to drip from his wound. "I'm just neutralizing the poison. That's what you told me to do, right?" He asked.

"Uh, yeah. I did." Kakashi nodded slowly.

"Naruto," Sakura swallowed a lump, "Doesn't that... hurt?" She pointed at his hand meekly.

"Eh. Just a bit, I guess." Naruto shrugged. The warming of his hand via demonic chakra indicated that the poison was completely gone, so he removed the kunai, and the gash healed perfectly in three seconds flat. He pulled out a rag, wiping off the blood left on his hand, then wiped his kunai off before putting it away. "There! Good as new!" Naruto beamed, giving his hand a few clenching flexes for good measure.

'_Naruto's healing power is... amazing!_' Sakura didn't realize she was staring as she finally witnessed what she had been expecting. '_I've got to talk to Kakashi-sensei about this!_' She vowed. '_And Sasuke-kun was so cool, taking on those enemy ninja without even batting an eye! He totally rocks! CHA!_' Inner Sakura cheered.

Said 'cool' boy was also staring at Naruto.

'_What the hell!?_' Sasuke's earlier grin was long gone as he glared at the blonde. '_I thought that rib thing during the bell test was some kind of trick or deception! But that... That just isn't possible! I didn't see him use a jutsu, so how did he do that!?_' His face was stone as he tried not to even dare consider a most unthinkable possible explanation for what he had witnessed first hand...

Kakashi blinked twice at Naruto's actions, and took note of how the other two youths were gawking/glaring at him.

"Well... Ok, glad you took care of that so quickly, Naruto." Kakashi said, before turning his attention to his prisoners. "Now, about these two..."

The others walked over to stand alongside Kakashi, looking at the tied up duo, the one of which had become re-aware of his mangled arm, and was straining and grunting to fight down the pain. He glared at Naruto with anger, disbelief, and maybe even a little fear.

"You... (argh)... You freakish runt... (grunt)... Damn it! How the hell did you know about our ambush!?" He growled out in severe aggravation.

"Actually, I didn't." Naruto admitted with a shrug. "I just wanted to splash a puddle. Although, now that I think about it, you two being here does make sense, and thereby, is somewhat expected for this unexpected turn of events." Naruto's mouth twitched in consideration.

"What?" Sakura turned a confused look to the blonde. "What are you saying? Did you _know _we were going to be attacked?" She asked with a hint of accusation in her voice.

"Sakura, he couldn't have known. This mission wasn't supposed to involve conflict with other ninja." Kakashi said, giving another glance at Tazuna. "Emphasis on, it wasn't _supposed_ to."

"Yes, but since we _were _attacked, it makes sense that they're mist-nin." Naruto said pointing out the Hitai-ate on the two tied up men.

"How does that make sense?" Sakura asked with confusion and interest. Naruto gave her a slightly surprised look.

"Uh, Sakura-san, what's our mission?" Naruto prompted.

"To escort Tazuna-san back to his country and provide security while he finishes building a bridge." Sakura replied easily.

"Right. His country. WAVE Country. On the ocean. To build a bridge. And what do bridges usually cross? Water. So, with all that water around, anyone who would want to cause trouble would have the best advantage if they can utilize that water to their advantage." Naruto droned out with an tone of obviousness. "Of the major and secondary villages that are know for having talent in water jutsu, there are Rain, Waterfall and Mist. Rain and Waterfall are in the west/northwest, on the opposite side of Fire Country from Wave Country. Whereas Water Country, in the ocean to the east of Wave, is not only closer, but has a more direct, unimpeded access to Wave in terms of travel, and the fact that there's less chance of interception on the open ocean." Naruto crossed his arms on his chest. "If I were someone who wanted to hire ninja to go Wave Country, I'd seek out the Village Hidden in the Mist first, both for the factors of efficiency and to minimize the likelihood of interference by anyone else, whether they be ninja or civilian." Naruto finished his little rant, not noticing Sakura's bug-eyed expression.

Kakashi once again found himself feeling a little pride at having such a knowledgeable student, and a little jealousy that it seemed he would have a hard time thinking of something to teach him that Kyaena hadn't already.

"I'd say these two are about C or B level chunin. Ninja from the Mist are known for their relentless attacks, continuing to fight on, even at the risk of their own lives." Kakashi noted, and turned an eye, as he only had one, to the prisoners.

"Determination is all well and good, but if I were in their position, I wouldn't have attacked a group so far inland. Especially considering we're not even that far from Konoha yet!" Naruto stated with a frown.

"So they're brainless. Just makes it easier for us." Sasuke snorted.

"That's hardly an appropriate or accurate appraisal of the situation." Kakashi said to the Uchiha, as he brought a hand up to rub his chin. "But the method of your ambush. A puddle? On a clear day? When it hasn't rained in weeks?" Kakashi shook his head in a pitying manner. "That was so obvious. Maybe you're only D level chunin. Freshly promoted, perhaps?" He asked with mock interest as the two men glared. But the one was looking pale, and was loosing the fight against the pain of his injury.

"Wait a minute," Tazuna spoke up, "If you knew as well, why'd you leave it to the gakis to do the fighting?" He frowned in disapproval.

"I could have taken them out before they even started trouble. But then, I would have learned nothing." Kakashi turned his eye-glare to Tazuna. "I wanted to know who their target was, and what they were after."

"Wh-what? What do you mean?" Tazuna fought to keep his voice gruff, and keep his stuttering nervousness out of it.

"I mean, I wanted to know if they were after us, ninja attacking ninja... Or if they were after you. The master bridge builder." Kakashi turned to full-on face the older man. "When you made your request to Konoha, you asked for standard protection... from robbers or highwaymen and the like. You never mentioned that there were ninja hunting you. If we had known this, it would have been designated a B-rank mission or higher." Kakashi's gaze tore into the man who had the sensibility to look a little guilty. "Our task was simply to get you to your destination, and guard you while you finish constructing your bridge. If we had known we would be fielding attacks from ninja, we would have staffed a different squad and charged for the cost of a B mission. Even if you had your own reasons, lying to us about the mission is unacceptable, not to mention a bad idea when you're asking for help. As it is, this task falls beyond the boundaries of the job we were assigned."

"Yeah, you miserable old coot!" Naruto jumped in. "See what lying gets you!? You not only endangered yourself and put your _own_ mission at risk, but put our lives at _unnecessary_ risk as well! How are we to protect you from things you don't warn us about!? If we get killed, you get killed!" Naruto stamped a foot. He really disliked liars, especially stupid ones who endangered his comrades.

Sakura decided to try being a little more gentle in her argument.

"Please understand, we're only genin. This is too advanced for us at our level of training." She appealed in a somewhat pleading voice. "I think we need to return to Konoha while we're still intact."

"What?" Naruto blinked at her. "I didn't say we should go back, I was just saying he should have told us everything from the start. As long as we know what we're in for, we can keep going."

Sakura looked at Naruto in surprise.

"Naruto, we can't keep going! You heard Kakashi-sensei, this is beyond what we were assigned for this mission! We're not supposed to get missions of this danger-" Sakura was saying, only to be interrupted by a huff from everyone's favorite emo.

"Don't be ridiculous." Sasuke said, drawing looks from everyone. "If those two are really chunin, then there is no danger here. It's clear that we're capable of dealing with any threats. If that's the worst to expect, I say we keep going."

"No, your sensei is right." Tazuna sighed in defeat. "It was wrong of me to put you in danger. I should have backed out when I first saw you were just kids. You have no business risking your lives-"

"HOLD IT!" Naruto shouted, startling everyone. He marched up to Tazuna, re-drawing his red kunai, leveling it to point straight at the old man's face... from a safe three foot distance, of course. "Now you listen to me, Tazuna-san." He said, his use of a proper address getting everyone's attention. "We are ninja. It is the path of life _we _have chosen, not you. Whether now or later, our lives will always be in danger. It is the way it is. You asked for protection. I swear, on this kunai that is stained from the blood of my labors, that I will continue to protect you as is my duty as a ninja of Konoha! But you have to _want _it." Naruto said, narrowing his eyes slightly with his last sentence. "Running away from your problems won't make them go away. Trust me on this." He finished slowly as he purposefully put away his kunai.

"**Are you sure about this, Naru-kun?**" Kyaena asked warily. "**If this old guy can't be trusted...**"

'_I'm guessing he has problems. This is why he was so concerned over the mission before. It's not wrong to be afraid of your troubles. I think he just made a mistake, and he has yet to explain why he did this._' Naruto responded quickly as he kept eye contact with Tazuna.

The others were all regarding Naruto and his little speech.

'_When will he learn, he only makes himself look all the more lame if he tries to act cool._' Sasuke grunted to himself. '_And that kunai? Stained with the blood of his labors? Who the hell does he think he's fooling?_' A nasty thought occurred to him. '_He'd probably be heartbroken if it were to be... lost._'

'_I... I don't know..._' Sakura fidgeted nervously. '_I don't feel too good about this... But Naruto does have a point. Ninja live dangerous lives. I should try to get used to it as soon as possible... And besides, Kakashi-sensei __**is **__here in case there's more trouble..._' She pondered.

'_Hmm. Maybe this kid isn't all talk after all._' Tazuna thought as he stared into Naruto's unflinching blue eyes. '_I've never seen any kid that could stab themselves like that. Also..._' Tazuna glanced over at the enemy ninja, specifically, the one with the broken arm that had passed out. '_He's got one hell of a temper. As long as he's going to vent it against __**them**__..._'

Kakashi was suffering a serious conflict of desires.

'_The fact that Tazuna lied about the mission requirements is technically all the reason needed to call it off. In fact, I'm effectively required to call it off, as per the directives regarding rookie genin._' He glanced at the enemy ninja. '_But Sasuke and Naruto are clearly advanced enough to take the risk of this mission. Sakura may need a little more work, but she did move to defend Tazuna when the ninja attacked._' Kakashi looked at Naruto who was still in his staring contest with the bridge builder. '_I should ask Naruto about why he froze up, but there's no telling that it wouldn't happen in any dangerous situation, now or later. If we hadn't taken this mission, which was supposed to be minor, then later, if we were given a more serious mission and he had frozen then... No, it's better that it happened now. I just need to think about how to talk to him about it._' Kakashi's gaze drifted to the last of the Uchiha clan. '_And maybe, just maybe, if this mission is just dangerous enough, it might be enough for Sasuke to..._'

"Kakashi-sensei? What do you want us to do?" Sakura asked, breaking the jounin out of his deliberations.

"Hmm. This is a bit complicated." Kakashi rubbed his chin in thought. "How about, I call for an official vote. What do you think we should do? Sakura?" Kakashi looked at the young kunoichi.

"I... I would prefer to return to Konoha..." She said after a moment, "But I'll stick with the team, whatever you decide."

"Hmm. Sasuke?" Kakashi looked at the expressionless boy.

"I say we continue on." Sasuke stated firmly.

"Ok. And Naruto?" Kakashi asked the third genin.

"I say..." Naruto paused, still looking Tazuna in the eye, "That we do the right thing."

'_A most interesting answer. Especially for a ninja._' Kakashi mused, then nodded. "Alright then. For now, we will continue on. We should pick up the pace a bit however," Kakashi motioned to Tazuna, "I want to reach the coast no later than nightfall of the day after tomorrow. I can carry you a part of the way if need be." Kakashi turned to the enemy ninja, narrowing his eye at the one still conscious, who had been watching and listening. "I just need to deal with these two. You guys go on, and I'll catch up in a minute."

"Oi!" Naruto spoke up, "I got first dibbs on their equipment!" He grinned.

"Fine. I'll pack up anything intact for you." Kakashi replied. Sakura huffed as she rolled her eyes, as Sasuke grunted slightly, upset he hadn't said anything first.

Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and Tazuna walked quickly down the road. Just as they were barely out of sight, Kakashi approached the enemy ninja, drawing a kunai...

* * *

In the middle of woods. In a large, heavily fortified structure suspended between the trunks like a glorified tree house, two groups were having a meeting.

In the room, a tall man with a half-bandaged face lounged on a large sofa, his Hitai-ate turned slightly sideways on his head. To his left, three of his subordinates knelt, awaiting instructions, should they be needed. Standing across from the tall man, was a much shorter man in a suit, and his one subordinate.

"What!? You're telling me you failed!?" The short man yelled with outrage. "I paid a lot of money to hire your group! I thought you were supposed to be some hot-shot former ninja assassins!"

"... Stop your whining..." The tall man growled, picking up an enormous sword by his side. In a blur, he whipped it around to point it at the short man, the tip of the sword only scant inches from his throat, even though he stood over nine feet from his associate. "The next time, I'll go myself, and kill the target with this... The Head-Chopper! It will be the last thing he ever sees..."

"W-well," The short man gulped nervously, not having enough men with him to defend him if his associate got nasty, "Are you sure about that? It seems the target has a high level ninja guarding him, and now that the Akuma Brothers have failed, they'll be on their guard for another attack. It will take some extreme skills..."

"Just who do you think you're dealing with?" The tall man growled again, never once lowering his massive sword. "I am Zabuza Momochi, the **demon **of the bloody mist!"

* * *

Team seven had rushed for the remainder of the day, and now with it getting dark, they stopped to make camp.

"Good work, people." Kakashi nodded to everyone. "But we still have a ways to go yet before we reach the coast. So rest up. Oh, and here's the stuff you 'dibbed', Naruto." He tossed a scroll to the boy.

"Great. I'm bushed." Naruto caught and pocketed the scroll as he yawned. He wandered over to a giant tree, and plopped down in a nook between roots, not even bothering to remove his backpack as he just sat there with his head drooped, seemingly asleep within seconds.

Sasuke didn't say a word as he unrolled his thin bedpad and lay down, with his back to the rest of the group. Tazuna spread out his own bedpad and lay down with a thin blanket from his backpack. Giving an acknowledging nod to Kakashi, he lay back, placing his hat on his face as he settled.

Kakashi was sitting on a rock as Sakura moved over and paced her sleeping spot next to him. She sat down but didn't move to go to sleep. After a few minutes of silence as she looked at the other guys to make sure they were asleep, she turned to look up at Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei, I want to ask you something." Sakura spoke as quietly as she could, effectively whispering.

Given the obvious fact that she didn't want to talk in front of the others, hence why she waited for them to got to sleep, Kakashi turned to speak to her quietly.

"Hmm? And what would that be? Still have some concerns about the mission?" Kakashi whispered back.

"No... Not really." She shook her head. "Actually, it's about Naruto."

"Oh? Feeling a little bashful around him now, are we?" Kakashi eye-smiled.

"... For the sake of the mission, I'll pretend I didn't hear that." Sakura growled low with an eye twitch. Forcing herself to take a calming breath, she tried again. "I wanted to ask you about Naruto's healing ability."

Although he showed no outward reaction, on the inside, Kakashi's senses went into high alert.

"What about it?" He asked casually, but was worried. '_He obviously couldn't know, but I should have warned him not to let that be seen after the bell test. A little late to fix it now._' He admonished himself.

"Well... I'm more than a little curious about it. I never knew he had it while we were in the academy. After the bell test, and in these past weeks, I've tried to ask him about it, but he acts like it's taboo to mention it." Sakura said with all seriousness.

"If that's the case, he must have his reasons. I don't believe his ability can apply to anyone else. And to tell the truth, I have no idea how it works." Kakashi stated, and it was, in fact, the truth. Sure, he suspected _why _Naruto had the healing power, from the power of the Kyuubi, but he honestly didn't know **how **it worked in healing him.

"Oh." Sakura looked a little disappointed at the lack of information. "I had asked Iruka-sensei about it once, and he said it was a difficult personal issue for Naruto."

"He said that?" Kakashi raised his eyebrow in mild surprise that the chunin would even say that much about the matter.

"... Does it have something to do with why adults seem so tense around Naruto?" Sakura asked, and now Kakashi did tense up.

"What do you mean?" Kakashi asked cautiously.

"I know Naruto has a loud mouth, and that it gets him into trouble a lot. And if it were just that, I wouldn't really have noticed. But ever since we became a team, my mom has been really... disagreeable, whenever I mention Naruto's name. She keeps telling me that he's dangerous, and that I should never let myself be alone with him. Not that I would do something like that anyway..." Sakura paused with that last statement with a hint of annoyance before continuing. "But every time I try to ask her why she says those things, she refuses to say, and only seems to get angrier about it."

"Does Naruto seem dangerous to you?" Kakashi asked, making a mental note to have a... _chat_, with Mebuki Haruno when he returned to the village.

Sakura paused, looking over at the sleeping blonde. She thought about how he had crushed the enemy ninja's arm, and how he had reacted that morning of the bell test...

"Well of course he's dangerous, he's a ninja." Sakura said, though unconsciously bringing a hand up to her throat. "But I've never seen him act in any way that would indicate that he would purposely hurt me, I-I mean, any of us." Sakura stuttered slightly to correct herself.

"Then you shouldn't worry." Kakashi eye-smiled again, pleased with her response. "But as for his healing ability, sorry, but you'll have to ask him. That is, if he even knows anything about it himself. It seems more like an automatic thing. He might not have any control over it, and he might be a little embarrassed to admit it."

"But it's such an amazing power!" Sakura whispered fiercely. "Don't you think you should talk to him about it? To be able to heal that way would be a boon for any ninja, and he... Well, like I said, he act's almost taboo about it. Even if it can't be used to help the rest of us, that's no reason why he shouldn't try to develop it as much as he can."

"Perhaps your right." Kakashi shrugged. "But it's late. It can wait for another time, preferably when we're not in the middle of a potentially serious mission." He eyesmiled as Sakura pinked slightly from the embarrassment of the obvious. "Get some sleep. We'll be moving quickly again tomorrow."

"Good night, Sensei." Sakura said as she laid down facing away from him.

Kakashi looked over the group once before turning his attention to the surroundings for watch duty. But didn't stop thinking about the events of the day.

'_I hope this was a first time/one time thing for Naruto._' He thought. '_I might have to tell him to keep his healing power better concealed, but that's not really something that could cause trouble if he doesn't, so that's not much of an issue. The real issue is his vicious response to the attack. I'll have to keep watch to see if he shows any other similar reactions. He was a bit on the quiet side the remainder of the day after we left the ninja._' Kakashi's brow tensed a bit. '_When I get to the point of talking to him about his behavior, I'll have to be careful. He's obviously smarter than he usually lets on. I wouldn't want him to get any more bad impressions of me._' He thought about the group in general. '_It seems Sakura is trying to understand Naruto better, and of course he has considerable patience for her occasional outbursts. But it seems that there's still some bad tension between Naruto and Sasuke. Unfortunately, Sasuke is progressing much slower in acclimating to the team, with him and Naruto always butting heads. Naruto seems to try to tolerate him, but there's always some underlying distrust that is coming from somewhere that I can't identify._' Kakashi sighed. '_Well, I knew this was going to be hard when I asked to be their squad sensei._' He looked down at the motionless form of Sakura. '_And I'll have to remember to talk to Mebuki-san when we get back, and keep an ear open if she tells Sakura something she shouldn't._' Kakashi looked up at the stars. '_With her mother like that, I wonder what Sakura really thinks of Naruto at this point?_' He mused to himself

Kakashi didn't know that Sakura had yet to fall asleep. She had been staring over at Naruto, thinking of same.

'_I guess he's getting easier to be around._' She was thinking. '_And it seems he gets smarter with each passing week. That lecture on elemental properties was... Well, it was so strange to here him talk that way._' Sakura's thoughts turned to the attack. '_It was our first real battle. I don't know if I reacted the right way. But Sasuke-kun and Naruto went at it like they were used to it. Even if Naruto took a moment to get himself into it. So what if he had a moment of hesitation? I was scared too. And Naruto's strength..._' The mental image of the screaming ninja with the broken and crushed arm popped across her thoughts. '_That was a little intense. I felt is chakra spike, like it did during the day of the bell test. I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that. Yet another reason I need to keep working on my temper around him. If I ever got him mad enough... It's obvious he has more chakra than I do..._' Sakura peered over at Naruto who was slumped against the tree. Her eye's widened when she noticed a slight sparkle in the dark as the moonlight reflected on something on Naruto's down-turned face. '_He's... He's crying again..._' Sakura realized in uncomfortable shock. '_How many times does this make? How can he be so optimistic and energetic all the time if he has nightmares every night? I don't think I could endure that. Part of me wants to know what he's dreaming about... and the other part of me is scared to find out._' Sakura finally closed her eyes as one last thought drifted through her head. '_I wonder if mom would still think he's so dangerous if she saw him like this..._'

* * *

Within Naruto, in the mystic domain of the mental representation of the seal, Kyaena had been very preoccupied.

Having spent the day going over the event several times, Naruto had shown that he really didn't know if something had been out of place. To him, the ninja's had attacked Kakashi, then came after him, and he had attacked back. But he trusted Kyaena's word, and so had been thinking over events repeatedly to try to remember anything else, with no real results.

Kyaena was not satisfied with this, and was extremely worried. She had something she wanted to check, but had to wait.

Kyaena sat at the bars to the seal, looking out into the great hall. Naruto's mind was his castle, and all things were represented as such. All throughout the stone halls were the rooms that all held memories or different properties of his mind. But the seal was the center room, the main hall. Kyaena's cage was barely that, with the giant bars of the seal being the only out-of-place factor. Her 'cell' was full of fantastic pillows and comforts of sorts that made it more than easy to relax in. The hall beyond it had all the symbolic furnishings of a great lord's home. At this point, there was still only one main door to enter or exit the room, but there were windows up on the walls, that did not include the cage, that allowed light/darkness to show through to represent Naruto's awareness of the time of day. There were many large bookshelves with some of the knowledge and memories that he had accumulated. There were tapestries, upon which were written/depicted Naruto's primary beliefs and goals. There were a few tables/desks that he used for studying when he had his lessons from Kyaena, upon which were trinkets, scrolls and other items of use. A few chairs were around too, of course, with one grand plush chair in front of the cage. No, not a throne, despite Kyaena's attempts to insist that Naruto make it so, but just one of elegant comfort for Naruto to sit. And in the center of the room, the key object of all, was a giant circular and solid-based conference-like table, whose surface was pure polished crystal. It was a means for Naruto or Kyaena to utilize/visualize his thoughts, memories, senses, and even imagination in either a mirror portal view, or fully 3D projection style. This was what Kyaena had been watching for several minutes, waiting.

At last the light of the table crystal faded to blank nothingness, indicating that Naruto had fallen into his dreamless sleep. Slowly and carefully, Kyaena allowed two streams of her red chakra to reach through the bars of the cage over to one of the largest bookcases. The chakra formed into two large hands, delicately pulling the shelves in their entirety away from the wall. Behind the bookcase was another tapestry, but it was more like a piece of the night sky, with silvery specs that one could think of as stars. The chakra hands lifted the tapestry out of the way to reveal a door. A door that Naruto had no conscious knowledge of. One that Kyaena had kept secret from him. And it was no ordinary door. It was not wood, but rather a dark heavy metal. It was partly corroded and rusted. But still solid, with no gaps around the edges. It had no handle or knob. It had no keyhole. There was only one symbol etched into it's surface. A symbol that glowed red. A symbol that Kyaena had placed there. A symbol, that in the written language of the kitsune, meant: **forgotten**.

Kyaena meticulously examined the door, checking every inch of the surface and edges for damage. Cracks, dents, anything. But there was nothing.

Giving a sigh of relief, Kyaena let the tapestry fall back into place, and quietly pushed the bookshelves back into position as well.

'_**So, at least what happened today had nothing to do with THAT, thank blessed Arceus.**_' Kyaena shifted away from the bars as she drew her chakra back into herself. '**_But I must find out what happened today._**' She cuddled up with some pillows. '_**Anything that can interfere with my connection to Naru-kun must NOT be tolerated!**_' She laid her head down as a tail brought a little Naruto plushy up to her. '_**I thought he would be able to handle true combat with ease. But if there's some factor that I've overlooked... I won't let him die... Never...**_'

Kyaena slept, but did not rest.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER

* * *

Author's Notes:

My writing has been delayed due to an immediate family member discovering they have a serious (potentially fatal) medical condition.

Having given it some thought, I decided to go with this, the beginning of the Wave Arc. The fist time gap was not that significant. However, there will be extra material that I add to the end of this arc, between it and the chunin exams.

Since I decided how to run the chapters, that poll was ended, and the kunoichi identity poll has resumed.

I'm afraid I can't really explain too much about this chapter, because there are numerous things that I don't want to give away. I think it will be better if you readers examine it yourselves. The only thing I think is safe to mention, is to take note of Sakura's improving attitude about Naruto. It will be affected by this, the Wave Arc. Especially by the end of the arc.

As for the rest, you'll just have to give me your impressions about this chapter. But explanations will only come in time.

To the next batch of reviews:

**JadeJin-Obi1**: I thought Obi-wan was human, and Yoda was the alien. It was Obi that said the quote, wasn't it?

**Ksai**: Sorry that things seem a little on the extreme side. I was under the impression that Sasuke was even more isolated in my story timeline than in canon, thereby making him a little nastier. As for Kakashi, he's more complicated, and his attitude will shift a number of times. Plus I think he's a very misunderstood person. And as for the 'baka' count, I don't need to, because people _are _idiots a lot of the time. I'm just pointing it out. (grins)

**Fritter**: I don't think that taking my time to build up the plot is all that bad. I assure you, when the chunin exams get rolling, things will start changing more drastically. And believe me, the Wave arc is important to my story. The explanation of why will come at the end of the arc.

**hamenpt**: The issue of Naruto trusting Kakashi is half dealt with in this chapter, but the actual reason will be said in the next chapter in the way of a Kakashi's Flashback.

**Dragon Man 180**: Why, thank you very much for that opinion of Kyaena. Unfortunately, there will be a lot of trouble for their life before they are able to really find happiness. You have a long wait, sadly. (cries)

**nim istar**: Maybe, maybe not. You'll have to wait until Naruto's next birthday to know for sure. And as for Naruto's mental condition... It's harsh. And will get worse.

**Thozmp Corris**: The parents thing is complicated and delicate. I will be touching on it again and again throughout the story. And the chapter/arc thing, well, here it is. Just like you thought! (grins)

**Keigai O Yain**: You seem pretty sure of yourself in the kunoichi's identity. It could have just been a regular toothpick, you know. Or maybe I was being 'obvious' to throw you off? Think about it. (snickers)

**DrejoCadal**: Hmm. Again, another one that is so confident with the kunoichi identity. And who says Anko is the only one with a bad past? How much background do you know about the other women in the series? I know very little. Maybe I decided to add some background to an existing character. Ever consider that? I did. (laughs)

**RPFarseer**: Yes, the part of Hinata angry at Iruka was a personal favorite of mine as well. I'm a little surprised that so few people commented on that. And don't jump to conclusions about the kunoichi. Just a warning. (shrugs)

**Hongthay**: Yes, the element test was something I had considered before. EVERYONE knows that wind is Naruto's primary element. But even when people write stories that say 'his element is stronger than others', they still keep the test that it just splits in half. I say, it should react in a way that reflects not only if they have an element, but how strong it is. Like if it's a weak fire element, the paper just singes or smokes a bit. Or a really strong earth element has the paper literally petrify into stone instead of crumbling to dust. So that was my take on his wind element strength. But there's more to it than that, and will be revealed in time.

**DaxLP**: Sorry, you'll just have to keep waiting on the identity. Like everyone else. (gives thumbs-up)

**Cervani**: I would have neutered myself if I hadn't fixed the kiss scene. It was mandatory as far as I'm concerned. But pairings are not definite. It takes time.

**roxxihearts**: No, I've never seen one of those commercials. But I understand your meaning. But as far as Sasuke is concerned... What's an 'arsehat'?

Thanks to all those who read, extra thanks to those that review, and royal thanks to those that enjoy.

Thank you all for your attention, time, and most of all, patience!

...I wonder if I'll top 300 reviews with this chapter?

* * *

This chapter edited:

5-21-2013


	9. SOTS,1,02,02

(AN: For disclaimer, see my profile.)

* * *

**SOTS-1-02-02**

**Soul of the Seal - Story 1 - Arc 2 - Chapter 2**

**Chapter 2 - "Fog You!"**

* * *

The morning of day 4, C-rank mission: Escort to the Land of Waves, squad seven.

The morning fog was quite heavy on the east coast of Fire Country, as six people in a small motor boat were crossing the waters, heading to Wave Country. But the motor was off as the local fisherman quietly rowed the boat carrying Tazuna, Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke.

Naruto was at the front of the boat trying to see ahead.

"Sheesh. When Kyaena-chan said the fog would be bad, she wasn't kidding." He said, squinting to try to see more than about thirty feet in front of them.

"**T-told you...**" Kyaena whimpered. She was huddled as far back in the seal cage as she could get, half-buried in pillows as she trembled. "**Just t-tell me when you... when we're b-back on solid ground...**"

'_Don't worry, it won't take much longer._' Naruto tried to comfort her.

Sakura was also failing to see beyond a few dozen feet from the boat.

"Yeah, it's so thick it's hard to tell we're even going anywhere. If it wasn't for the water itself..." Sakura looked down and watched the water ripple as the low-riding boat moved forward.

"We'll be able to see the bridge any minute now." The boatman said quietly. "As soon as you set foot on the other shore, you'll be in the Land of Waves."

The boat moved in silence for another minute, until the morning light began to cut through the fog, slightly, and a huge shadow loomed over them. They looked up, and up, and up, as the unfinished end of the bridge came into view. Even from their low angle from nearly under the bridge, slightly to the left, the group could see scaffolding, piles of materials, and even a crane or two, up on the bridge where construction was still to be done.

"Daaaaaaaaammmmnnn." Naruto drawled out in shock at the size of it. Sakura, in a moment of inspiration, struck.

"No, it's a briiiiiiiidggggge." She snickered as Naruto shot her a look.

"Laaaaaaaame." Naruto grumbled at the poor joke.

"ACHOO!" Sasuke's sneeze made everyone jump.

"Hey, keep it down!" The boatman hissed urgently. "The whole point of moving through the dense morning fog was so we wouldn't be spotted. But it doesn't do any good if they hear us!" He whispered as harshly as he could. "Why do you think we're going like this? Turning the motor off and rowing? And it's bad enough that we're barely afloat as it is with all your stuff!" He referred to the fact that when they had first gotten in, the boat had nearly sunk from the weight. No one understood why, though. It shouldn't have been that much.

"Sorry. I think some sea salt got in my nose." Sasuke muttered as he took out a handkerchief and blew.

Naruto was looking back at the boatman.

"And who might 'they' be?" Naruto asked.

Kakashi turned to Tazuna.

"Indeed. I think I've been more than patient enough, Tazuna-san." Kakashi stared hard at their 'employer'. "Before we reach the pier, it's time for you to provide some answers. The men that are after you. I need to know why." His voice took on a sharper tone of absolution. "If you don't tell us... I'll have to end our mission when we drop you ashore. That was the technical limit of this assignment. Protecting you until you reached the Land of Waves, which we have. Guarding you while you complete the bridge was left to my discretion."

Tazuna slowly looked up from under his hat. A look of resignation on his face.

"It seems I have no choice but to tell-... No... I _want _you to know the truth." Tazuna gave a single glance at Naruto before returning to Kakashi. "It's as you said before. This is beyond the scope of the mission that you started out on. The one who targets my life, is a very _short _man who casts a very long and deadly shadow." Tazuna muttered grimly.

"Are you taking another jab at me?" Naruto huffed, crossing his arms.

Kakashi gave him a glare, to which Naruto just returned with a 'I-was-just-asking' shrug.

"A deadly shadow?" Kakashi asked, turning back to the old man. "And who is it?"

"You know him. Or at least you must've heard his name before." Tazuna grumbled with all seriousness. "He's a businessman in the field of marine transportation. His name is Gato."

"You mean... Gato? Of Gato Shipping and Transport!?" Kakashi's eye widened in surprise. "THE Gato!? There are many rumors that say he's the richest man in the world!"

"Yes. The very same." Tazuna nodded slowly. "On the surface he may appear to be a legitimate business man. But below the surface... he's a ruthless murdering criminal who employs gangs and hires ninja to take over businesses and ruin countries. He uses his businesses as cover to traffic in anything and everything you can call illegal. Weapons, contraband, drugs... even slaves. He lives by every low and vicious trade known to humanity."

"Sounds like a royal-class dirtbag dipped in a scum-bucket." Naruto growled.

"It was just a little more than about one year ago... that he set his sights on the Land of Waves." Tazuna nodded. "He used his wealth and his violence to enter our country, and before anyone realized what was happening, he had seized total control of our transport and shipping."

"Of course he would have to." Naruto shook his head. "In a country that is all a bunch of islands grouped together, that is the best and only way to control-"

"Hey, are you going to tell this story or what?" Tazuna glared at the blonde, who slumped slightly.

"Well excuse me for wanting to help." Naruto grumbled.

"...When Gato came into our country, any who stood in his way simply... disappeared." Tazuna continued when he noted Naruto's silence. "And yes, the little snot is right. In an island nation, the man who controls the sea, controls everything from finance to government, our very lives. But even Gato has his fears, and what he fears most is... the bridge." Tazuna glanced up at the erection of engineering. "Once it is complete, it will join our country to the mainland and that will break Gato's control. I am the bridge builder."

Everyone sat silent for a moment.

"So that's what it's all about." Sakura nodded slowly, though she was frowning slightly. "You're the one with the knowledge of how to complete the bridge, so it's you that is standing in this gangster's way."

"Which means the two ninja from before, must have been working for Gato." Sasuke commented evenly, but was grinning on the inside at the thought of such serious and challenging opponents.

"But that still doesn't answer the question." Kakashi cut in. "If you knew all this, knew Gato was dangerous, knew he would send ninja to eliminate you... Why did you hide that information from us when you contracted our services?"

"Haven't you been listening?" Tazuna frowned at the jounin. "Our country has never been a major metropolis, and ever since Gato arrived, we've been reduced to nearly nothing. Famine is gripping the people. We are poor to the point of emptiness. Even our nobles have little money, and what little they and the rest of us have hangs in the balance in the building of the bridge." He sighed with some humiliation. "To put it simply, we common people who are undertaking this task, couldn't afford an A or even B rank mission. They were too expensive." The builder looked up at the ninja in front of him. "If you end this mission and abandon me when you set me ashore, there will be no bridge. I will surly be assassinated before I can even reach my home."

Tazuna's confidence of his impending death hung in the silence.

'_I don't like the fact that he lied to begin with, but..._' Naruto was thinking with some depression, '_If things are really as bad as he says..._'

"But of course, none of that is your concern." Tazuna said with a surprisingly sudden casualness. "It's not like you'll be there to see my grandson cry himself to hysteria. So what if my daughter vows eternal hatred to the Konoha ninja that abandoned me as she is forces to live her life all alone?" He gestured nonchalantly. "It's not your fault, so just forget the whole mess."

The four ninja were all staring at him with slightly dark clouds hanging over their heads.

"Ok, now your laying it on a little thick." Naruto growled then turned to look for Kakashi's decision.

Kakashi noted Naruto's stare, which was joined immediately after by Sakura.

"Oh dear." The jounin sighed as he scratched lightly at the top of his Hitai-ate. "Well, it seems we have no choice but to continue protecting you." He shrugged as Naruto and Sakura nodded in agreement.

"Really?" Tazuna said with the utmost innocence. "That's so wonderful, I can't tell you how grateful I am!" The old man snuck a look behind him to the smirking boatman to discreetly flash a 'V'. '_We win!_' The old engineer thought gleefully.

The boat moved on a bit more until the boatman raised his head a bit in attention.

"We're almost there. Just under this walkway and past the mangroves, we'll reach the pier." He said, drawing everyone's attention to the stone arched wall-like feature they were approaching.

Progressing through a short tunnel under it, they emerged on the other side to a small inlet lake, with some buildings along parts of the bank, and a few trees popping up here and there out of the water.

Naruto couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight, but also noticed the unfortunate lack of any sort of noise that should have accompanied the awakening town in the morning. As they approached their drop point, the ninja all noted that the buildings were hardly that. Most were plain wooden shacks that were considerably worn out. Reaching the short wooden dock, they climbed out of the boat, causing it to nearly jump out of the water. Tazuna and the boatman exchanged farewells, and confused glances, before the man kicked on the motor and quickly directed his boat away.

"Ok. Now if I can just reach my home safely..." Tazuna said.

"Which one is it?" Naruto asked, looking around the lake.

"It's not here. It's a bit ways inland." Tazuna shook his head.

"**Inland. Inland is good.**" Kyaena nodded shakily, finally coming out from the corner of her 'room' as she allowed herself to relax.

They started onward down the small road through the forested area. Kakashi was considering the next stage of the mission.

'_The next attack won't be by chunin. It'll be an elite jounin, without a doubt. A man like Gato would pay for results._' Kakashi thought as a worried frown hid under his mask. '_At worst, it would be an entire squad of jounin, or two. Gato could certainly afford it. If that happens, I'll have no choice but to get the team out of here as quickly as possible, and hope that the enemy would be satisfied with only stopping Tazuna-san and the bridge._' Kakashi didn't like the idea of failing a mission, no elite ninja would. But if worse came to worse, he knew what he would have to do, and the Hokage and the Fire Daimyo would deal with the political mater with Wave Country in their own ways.

The group continued for a while in silence. Naruto at point, followed by Sasuke and Sakura behind to either side, then Kakashi walking next to Tazuna. How Naruto kept winding up on point was a strange matter that no one even noticed or gave any thought about.

Naruto was just keeping on watch ahead, but then a smirking Sasuke, having increased his pace a bit, came up along side the blonde.

"What the hell are you smirking about?" Naruto muttered to his dark-haired teammate.

"Just thinking about the next time I'll get to see your pathetic displays of cowardice." Sasuke muttered back.

"As I recall," Naruto's brow tensed in annoyance, "You were the one who had the enemy chunin pinned with their own chain, then was so clumsy as to released them in your sloppy movements. Whereas I-" Naruto stopped mid-breath, both in word and in motion as his head snapped to the side, his eyes darting back and forth over the bushes at the right side of the road.

Everyone jerked to a stop, with Tazuna going ridged in mild panic.

"Naruto? What is it?" Kakashi asked seriously as his hand reached for his shuriken. He noticed Naruto slowly frown with confusion as he stared into the underbrush.

"...Nothing, I guess. Sorry about that, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said slowly as he turned to continue walking.

Kakashi couldn't help but smirk hearing the blonde's adressment of him. It had been a nice little victory for his progress of the team...

(KAKASHI'S FLASHBACK)

It was the morning after the day of the enemy chunin attack. Kakashi was already up, with the sun only minutes away from rising over the horizon. Just as he was about to wake the others, he noticed Naruto already standing up, moving over to him.

"Um... Hey." Naruto started out nervously.

"Good morning." Kakashi eye-smiled.

Naruto stood silent, fidgeting slightly. Just before Kakashi could ask...

"ImSorryIveBeenSoDisrespectfulToYouItWasAMistakeBu tIRealizedIWasWrongSoImSorry!" Naruto blurted out with a speed that was difficult to believe.

"...What?" Kakashi blinked, having a bit of trouble untangling his student's outburst.

"I... I said I'm sorry." Naruto repeated, giving a nervous glance at the others, checking that they were still asleep. "After what happened yesterday... I'm used to being in danger, it's just the way my life has been. But, when I thought you had been killed..." Naruto's head drooped. "I had completely forgotten that you're out here, risking your life too. So even though we didn't start out on the best of circumstances-" Kakashi winced, "-It doesn't change the fact that you're a leaf-nin as well. So I should at least be treating you with the respect deserving of a comrade. But I haven't been doing that." Naruto shuffled his feet a bit. "... Do you understand what I'm saying?" He asked numbly, keeping his gaze on the ground.

Kakashi was stunned. He had been only to aware of Naruto's less than cooperative attitude in the past months, and the jounin had been wondering how he was ever going to earn the boys respect. Now same boy was apologizing for his behavior, with no small amount of difficulty Kakashi noted, and wanted to set things right.

'_So all it took to earn his respect was for him to think I was dead._' Kakashi had to fight the urge to sweat-drop. '_It would have been better for the team if he had done it in front of the others,_' Kakashi glanced at his two other sleeping students, '_But considering what I've managed to learn about his history from a few discreet sources, it's no wonder it's so hard for him to trust anyone. There's no way I'm going to press the issue. Just be glad for what I can get._' Kakashi turned another eye-smile to Naruto as he ruffled the boy's hair a bit. "It's ok, Naruto. Learning is what being a genin is all about. It's why I'm here." He handed the surprised boy a canteen. "Don't dwell on past mistakes. I doubt Kyaena-chan would appreciate such thoughts interfering in your training efficiency. Now, why don't you wake the others so we can get on with our mission?"

Naruto, after a moment of surprise at having been let off the hook so easily, was all smiles.

"No problem Sensei!" He beamed, taking a drink of the canteen as he walked over to the others.

Kakashi only realized his mistake too late when Naruto poured water onto Sasuke.

'_...Well... At least he didn't do it to Sakura..._' Kakashi freely sweat-dropped this time as he watched the suddenly very awake and yelling people in front of him.

(END KAKASHI'S FLASHBACK)

Kakashi was still musing on such thoughts, not really noticing that his employer next to him was steaming with severe irritation.

"STOP TRYING TO SCARE ME YOU SCRUFFY LITTLE DWARF!" Tazuna roared out. Needless to say, he didn't like being rattled for no reason.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A DWARF YOU STINKY OLD TROLL!?" Naruto roared back. Needless to say, he was getting tired of the 'short' cracks.

"Insults are the least of your worries when you try to go showing off." Sasuke continued to smirk, which made Naruto turn on him.

"I AM NOT SHOWING OFF!" Naruto shouted out his frustration. "I'm _trying_ to stay on guard! So excuse me if I'm a little-"

_**WHOOOSH-THUNK/THUNK/THUNK**_

Everyone jumped again when Naruto had spun in place, throwing three kunai into the bushes to the left of the road. A place that Kakashi's own attention had shifted to.

"NARUTO!" Sakura screamed out with growing anger. "Stop trying to-, HEY! Naruto, wait a minute!" She had called as the blonde ignored her, racing over to the bushes where his kunai had gone.

The others watched as Naruto ripped aside the brush, only to freeze up and go pale.

"OH NO MERCIFUL ARCEUS! WHAT HAVE I DONE!?" Naruto wailed in horror.

**That** certainly got everyone's attention, as they rushed over to see what had happened. They gathered around behind Naruto to look...

...Only to see a white rabbit twitching in shock at the base of a tree, the three kunai surrounding it's head so closely that they were actually holding it in place.

"AHH! Naruto, how could you!?" Sakura cried out in anguish over the poor cute animal's predicament.

"It was just a rodent-I mean, rabbit?" Tazuna corrected himself because of Sakura's harsh glare.

Naruto hurried to yank out and store the kunai as he pulled the rabbit into a frantic cradling hug.

"I'm so sorry little bunny! I'm so very sorry! I didn't mean to scare you! I have no idea how this happened!" Naruto babbled as he swung the rabbit back and forth in a crushing embrace. '_But I __**know **__I felt a death threat! What happened!?_' He thought.

"**We'll figure out that later!**" Kyaena said with wide gleeful eyes. "**For now, we've got a yummy rabbit lunch ahead of us!**" She licked her teeth.

'_WHAT!? NO WAY! Don't even think that! I've already hurt this poor bunny enough!_' Naruto denied furiously as he continued to squeeze the animal, who was having its own thoughts...

'_Help! Help! This giant talking carrot that smells like a fox is squishing me to death! HEEEELLLLLP!_' The rabbit cried in misery.

* * *

Somewhere in the Konoha forest, a ribbon-adorned cat gave a few snuffling sneezes... which alerted the genin squad that was chasing it through the foliage.

* * *

Back with squad seven, even as Naruto lamented his actions, and Sakura kept trying to get him to let go of the poor critter, Kakashi's attention was elsewhere.

'_You didn't make a mistake, Naruto._' Kakashi was thinking as his gaze meticulously scanned the surrounding area. '_I felt that flash of KI as well... And that's a snow rabbit. And seeing as it has its white winter coat, which couldn't happen if it were a native animal to this area, it had to have been raised indoors... just for use with a Substitution Jutsu. Now the question, where did the enemy go after that?_' Kakashi continued to look around.

Up in the trees a little distance from the traveling group, an increasingly irked mist-nin was watching.

'_It's no wonder the Akuma Brothers failed against this group._' The man scowled behind his own facial mask of bandages. '_That jounin... It's the infamous 'Copy-nin' from the Hidden Leaf. Kakashi of the Sharingan._' He reached to his back to grip the handle of his giant sword. '_And the three with him... They're not wearing the traditional chunin vests of the Leaf, which means their just genin. And yet..._' His eyes narrowed on the bright color eye-sore of the bunch. '_That blonde brat was able to sense __**both **__my movements! They must be real ninja potentials for Kakashi to have them as students. But it still won't matter in the end._' He adjusted his stance on the branches he was in as he readied for an attack...

The genin in question were still a bit distracted, especially Naruto, who was fighting with himself.

"**Pweeeze, Naru-kun!?**" Kyaena was pouting with as much sweetness as she could manage. "**You've never even tried fresh rabbit! You've never had the chance! But if you could just taste the irresistibly tender meat... It's not like I'm asking you to eat it raw or anything!**" She whined even as she was drooling at having a delicious morsel so close, yet so far away.

'_No way! Not going to happen! You know I don't like hurting animals needlessly!_' Naruto snapped back. '_I've gotten used to fishing over time, so you should be happy with that! I'm not about to start going out and hunting-_'

Naruto stopped as his eyes snapped wide and Kyaena tensed up. There was no mistake this time. He quickly stood, startling Sakura who had been standing over him.

"Naruto? Wha-" She blinked at his sudden action.

"Here Sakura-san, catch." Naruto said as he tossed the rabbit at her.

"Waaa! Naruto, don't-!" Sakura yeeked as she lunged to catch the fluffy animal, which Naruto had deliberately aimed just out of her reach. The rabbit managed to squirm out of her hands as she fell to the ground with a thud. The rabbit ran off into the bushes-

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" Kakashi yelled out to the group as he tackled Tazuna to the ground. Sasuke instantly dove down, and Sakura, who was already on the ground, gave a squeak as she curled into a ball.

_**VUFF/VUFF/VUFF/VUFF-SPAAANNNG-SCRRRRCHHH**_

The four people on the ground looked up after a moment, and their eyes widened at the sight. Sakura couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Naruto, standing just a few feet from her, was still standing. And he was now holding a huge sword horizontally in front of himself by the blade between the flats of his hands. Sakura looked down, seeing the scuffs on the ground when Naruto had been pushed back at least two feet from the impact.

"Na-... Naruto?" Sakura barely managed to breath out as she slowly stood up, as were the others. "H-how... How did you DO that?" She gaped at him as he was beginning to examine his catch.

"With lots of practice, unfortunately..." Naruto muttered sourly under his breath, not really noticing the strange look on her face.

The others had gotten to their feet, and quickly came over to Naruto and Sakura.

"Naruto! Are you alright?" Kakashi asked with urgent worry, trying to see if the blonde had hurt his hands.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm fine." Naruto shrugged off the concern as he hefted up the weapon in his hands, now holding it straight up by its handle. It was at least three times as long as Naruto was tall. Naruto gave a whistle as he looked up at it. "Now _that's_ a knife!"

"Yes it is. And I want it back." A menacing voice growled out.

Everyone turned to see a tall shirtless man step out from behind a giant tree that was only a few feet from a small lake that was ahead of them. How did they not notice the body of water? Well, they had been a bit preoccupied...

"Oh crap..." Tazuna muttered, making sure that his ninja were between him and the other ninja.

Kakashi immediately placed himself between his students and his new enemy.

"Give me that sword, boy." Zabuza veritably snarled at the blonde. "And I'll make your death quick."

"Umm..." Naruto seemed to think, looking up at the blade before looking back. "I'm thinking... no."

"THAT WASN'T A CHOICE!" Zabuza howled in outrage, his hands clenching at his sides. '_I can't believe that little freak caught my blade! Now I have a real problem..._' He eyed the group in front of him as he did a mental count of the limited other weapons he was carrying.

"**You know, Naruto-kun,**" Kyaena growled out thoughtfully, "**It's been a while since you practiced your sword forms. Why don't you give this nice blade a spin... around his **_**head**_**?**"

'_You think? Hmm..._' Naruto eyed the enemy as he tightened his grip on the sword handle.

Kakashi noted the contemplative look on Naruto's face, and decided to interject before things got bad.

"Well well, if it isn't Zabuza Momochi. Rouge ninja of the Hidden Mist village." Kakashi announced as he pulled out a kunai with his right hand.

"Did you say... rouge ninja?" Naruto said as his eyes narrowed at the now perceived traitor-to-his-own-village, and his grip tightened even further on the sword handle, causing the few leather wraps to creak in protest. Sasuke glanced at him.

"Don't, Naruto." Kakashi warned, holding out his left hand to prevent the blonde from charging forward. "This one isn't like the first two. He's on a different level. Even without his sword."

"My sword. Give it to me boy, or I'll tear you apart slowly!" Zabuza demanded again, this time letting loose a blast of KI at the blonde.

Sakura, Tazuna and Sasuke all gasped and fell back a step from the feeling, but Naruto just stared back at the mist-nin unflinchingly.

"Getting a bit mad, are we?" Kakashi snipped.

'_What is going on here!? That can't be any ordinary boy..._' Zabuza thought angrily at the boy's failure to crumble under his stare.

"Well, if you're miffed already, you'll love this." Kakashi barely turned his head to get Naruto's attention. "Naruto, destroy that sword."

"WHHAAAT!?" Zabuza roared, shifting into a striking ready stance, to which Kakashi also shifted his stance.

"What?" Naruto blinked in surprise, and even Kyaena was a little thrown by the order. "But... A weapon is a weapon. Don't you want to use it, or-"

"No, Naruto. It's HIS weapon of choice. Even if I were to try to use it, if he managed to get it back..." Kakashi left his statement hang, hoping Naruto would get the hint.

"Oh, yeah. I get it." Naruto nodded looking at the weapon in his hands again. He gave a sigh. "What a waste."

Naruto suddenly brought the sword down to slap it flat against the ground as he held the grip, brought his foot up...

"NO!" Zabuza howled as he saw Naruto's foot come crashing down.

Naruto slammed his foot into the blade as he yanked up on the handle, bending the sword into a vicious angle. Zabuza watched in stunned horror as Naruto bent, twisted and crushed his once-fearsome sword over and over again, until it had been reduced to little more than a large ball of metal on a stick. Naruto paused as the others gaped at his actions.

"Uh... Oops. I think I messed up." Naruto said, judging his handiwork. "Uh, Kakashi-sensei, is it ok that he now has a mace instead of a sword?" He asked, making his group sweat-drop.

"I think that will be fine, Naruto." Kakashi said, never taking his gaze off the enemy ninja.

"So... Does that mean I can keep it now?" Naruto asked hopefully.

If not for the very angry mist-nin in front of them, the rest of the group would have face-palmed.

"**We can discuss weapon options when we return to Konoha.**" Kyaena grumbled at her host's comment.

"N-Naruto, this isn't the time for jokes.." Sakura was beginning to shake in fear from the growing threat in front of her.

"Boy..." Zabuza growled deep, "I don't know exactly how you did that... But when I get my hands on you... You will die in the slowest, most painful way that anyone has ever died in this world!" Zabuza shouted as his rage and KI hit hard, making Sakura and Tazuna to squeak in fear, and Sasuke to freeze up rigidly.

"Pft. Try telling me something that I _haven't _heard a thousand times before..." Naruto grumbled as he tossed the now useless former sword high and away. It landed about fifty feet to the right, thudding heavily as the ball of metal half-buried itself in the ground with the handle sticking up. "And don't think for a second that you have ANY hope of intimidating ME!" He glared at the much taller man.

It was interesting, for Naruto. It was the first time. The first time that he knew someone who didn't know him, that would still wish him harm, and it was ok for him to let it be known that he didn't appreciate it. So, when Naruto's attention focused on Zabuza, there was just the teeniest bit of built up pressure behind it. Add it to the tension already building up that was coming off of Zabuza and Kakashi, an you had one very hostile atmosphere. A little too hostile for some...

Tazuna was an old man. He'd been through a large majority of his life, and had seen and experienced plenty of his fair share. He'd even dealt with ninja before. So he had a reasonably tough skin when it came to certain matters. Not to say that he was completely immune, as his thumping heart indicated. And his habits involving alcohol didn't help any. The guy was lucky he didn't have a heart attack...

Sakura was not having fun. She had felt things were a little off from the beginning, when the half-drunk man had walked into the mission briefing room. And things were getting steadily worse. Ok, maybe not steadily worse so much as worse by leaps and bounds. She had been quite frightened during the first attack, facing actual enemy ninja from another village for the first time. They had even been dressed in a frightening fashion. But now she was experiencing something very different. The group wasn't even fighting yet and already she could feel more threat and danger crushing down on her than ever before. It was so much that part of her wanted to run away, find some rock to hide under while she cried her eyes out. But of course, then there was that other part of her, the part that had been growing in strength the past several months. The part that had been feeling what it was like to be a kunoichi of Konoha. The part that had been thanked by the people she had helped, even on the rather simple D-rank missions. The part of her that had seen how the younger children, especially the girls, looked at her as she walked down the street with her team. The part that wanted to prove her mother wrong about her not being ready for a C-rank mission. Ok, so it technically wasn't a C-rank anymore, but the principle was still there. She had managed to stand her ground before, despite her fear, so she knew she had to do so again. Even if she had absolutely no idea what to do, it wasn't as if she had any way out of it.

The last member of the group, was not having anywhere near the same thoughts as the others.

'_This can't be happening..._' Sasuke trembled with wide, horror filled eyes. '_So much energy... and it's all... blood-lust..._' He didn't even seem to notice his own hand pulling a kunai from his holster. '_Elite jounin, intent to kill... It's... It's even worse than before... From __**him**__... That night... My life, being thrown into limbo... Trying to drive me mad!_' His hands brought up the kunai, pointing it at his own stomach. '_NO! I can't bear it! I'd rather die!_'

Before he could act, and rid the world of his own existence, a hand clamped down on his, preventing him from moving.

Sasuke looked up to see Naruto glaring at him with a frowning expression of annoyance.

"Remind me again... Who's the scaredy-cat?" Naruto whispered harshly, causing Sasuke to jerk slightly and break the fear, to be replaced by anger.

"**He's far less than that, Naru-kun. And don't forget to rub this in his face later!**" Kyaena grinned, baring her teeth in glee at seeing the Uchiha so weak.

"You're all a pathetic lot! I should skin you all and send your worthless corpses back to the Leaf Village!" Zabuza snarled.

"Forget it, Zabuza." Kakashi stated with a sharp determination. "I think you're now in a less than favorable position to be making threats. I think that if you try to press this matter, you'll loose. But... Just to be sure..." Kakashi's left hand came up to his head and took hold of his slanted Hitai-ate, "Don't want to take unnecessary chances. So I'll be using this..." He slowly pulled his Hitai-ate up to straighten it on his forehead. His now uncovered left eye was closed, and a very obvious scar ran straight down over it from above his eyebrow, to halfway down his cheek.

"Grrrr... That won't help you this time, Kakashi of the Sharingan." Zabuza snarled, as his stance shifted a bit, towards the water behind him...

'_S__**h**__a__**r**__i__**n**__g__**a**__n__**!**__?_' Sasuke, Naruto and Kyaena all thought with shock as Kakashi opened his eye, revealing the red and black orb.

"Everyone, take Manji defense formation! Protect Tazuna-san!" Kakashi ordered. "I may have an advantage against him now that he lost his favored weapon, but I want you all to stay out of this fight from here on!" He brought up his right hand with the kunai as he shifted his stance.

"I suppose I should consider it an honor that you would use the sharingan against me, but it's useless, Kakashi. When I was a member of Mist ANBU, you were listed in our bingo book." Zabuza growled out. His voice was just naturally menacing. "We had a standing order to destroy you on sight, you, the man who has copied a thousand jutsu."

As Zabuza was speaking, a mist was drifting in off the lake, starting to obscure the surroundings. But it went mostly unnoticed because four of the group were having distracting thoughts.

'_...Wait a minute, the sharingan is the kekki-genkai that only appears in the few most elite members of the Uchiha clan. MY clan!_' Sasuke realized. '_How could he... He couldn't..._' Sasuke looked at Kakashi as an odd sensation was beginning to grip at his heart. '_Could he be... one of my clan?..._'

'_I'm beginning to think that this whole mess is only going to get worse and worse._' Tazuna worried. '_This seems to be a rather dysfunctional group... But... Since it's the best I could get, I can only hope Kami decides to favor this foolish old man..._'

'_What is going on?_' Naruto thought as heated tension was pulling at his body. '_How the hell could he have one of those accursed eyes!? It's bad enough I have to put up with Sasuke, but at least with him there's a good chance he'll never gain that..._' Naruto glared at the jounin as another possibility entered his mind. '_Wait... If he's been hiding this... What if he's...?_' Naruto's eyes narrowed.

"**As much as I hate to admit it, and I mean I REALLY hate to admit it, I don't think what your thinking is quite what we might think it to be.**" Kyaena growled, her claws slowly tearing at her 'anger pillow'. '_**I knew it! I knew there was something about him that was off! These past couple months, I knew it couldn't be paranoia! It's HIM. THAT boy.**_' Kyaena hissed as her fur rippled. '_**I had wondered what happened to him. I never bothered to check after it happened. And besides, it wasn't too much later that I had... other concerns.**_' She glanced around at her cage/room. '_**I know you're not very happy with me, Arceus, but this is getting ridiculous! First Itachi, then Sasuke, now THIS!? I don't care what he might or might not feel about what happened then! If this half-souled bastard does anything to show that he's been tainted by their blood and tries to hurt Naru-kun or myself... then he will have to die along with the others.**_' Kyaena growled to herself as a tail reached over to the Kakashi doll she had sitting on a shelf against the wall of the cage, along with all the other dolls representing people in Naruto's life. The tip of her tail pulled up the doll's Hitai-ate, then pierced into the left eye. When the tail withdrew, the doll's eye had been replaced by a glowing red point of light. '_**Hmm. Only one eye, and he's not an Uchiha by blood... Between that weak amount of energy, and the fact I'm trapped inside a seal made by **__**Shinigami **__**himself, I guess it's not all that much of a surprise that I couldn't sense it in him.**_' She thought sourly as a tiny pang of guilt touched her, having past memories brought up again...

Sakura was having slightly lighter thoughts than the others, having been jolted out of her terror from a few moments ago.

'_Whoa, I didn't realize that Kakashi-sensei was so famous!_' Sakura blinked with a bit of surprise and awe. But she was curious. "Hey, wait a minute! What's this 'sharingan' you keep talking about?" She asked. To her one side, Sasuke gave a small grunt.

"It's a type of-" Sasuke started to say.

"ENOUGH!" Zabuza snarled. "What had started as a minor task has become far too troublesome! First I will kill you, Kakashi, then the bridge builder," He grinned an unseen grin at Tazuna's panicked look, "And then I'll deal with you, blondie!" He snarled at Naruto as he leaped.

But he didn't leap forward towards Kakashi, he leapt backwards and positioned himself on the lake water, with one hand in a seal, the other arm pointing straight up.

"Didn't you guys hear me the first time!? I said Manji formation! Now!" Kakashi ordered. '_He's building up his chakra..._' He kept both eyes on his opponent.

Sakura and Sasuke immediately rushed to stand next to Tazuna with kunai drawn, but Naruto was still standing where he was, glaring at Kakashi.

"**We'll deal with that later, Naru-kun.**" Kyaena growled urgently. "**For now, focus! This Zabuza character is a free-open enemy! This is what you've been training for!**"

"Naruto, what are you doing!?" Sakura yelped, noting that the third member of her team wasn't in position. "Get over here!"

Kakashi's eye darted to Naruto just once as he tried to keep an eye on Zabuza, who was taking the initiative.

"Water Art, Hidden Mist Jutsu!" Zabuza declared as a mass spray of water and, you guessed it, mist, surged up around him and filled the air. The fog/mist in the area got thicker by the second, badly hindering sight as Zabuza vanished inside the grayness.

"Naruto!" Kakashi shouted with startled anger. "Follow my order! Get in position!"

"Excuse me _Kakashi_," Naruto spat, further shocking the man, "But I have a slightly different idea!" Naruto leapt backwards into the fog. "HYAA!"

_**FoofFoofFoofFoofFoofFoofFoofFoofFoofFoofFoofFoofFo ofFoofFoofFoof**_

The mass of white smoke that suddenly filled the air all over the area, mixed with the fog, making visibility for everyone absolutely zero.

"Naruto! Wha-?" Kakashi's hidden voice started to shout, angry and confused, wondering what Naruto was doing.

"Wind Art, Shockwave Jutsu!" Naruto's voice shouted out in the white blankness.

_**KAPAP-WHHOOOSHH**_

A single sudden burst of wind instantly hit everyone. It was pretty strong, but only so much as you could call a normal wind strong as you feel it hit you for the first time on a spring day. It didn't hurt anyone, just maybe made them flinch. The effect, however, was that in less than a second, the whole area was cleared of all fog and smoke.

Zabuza, now re-exposed in his position on the water, stared wide-eyed at what he saw in front of him now.

Dozens of Kakashi's, dozens of Naruto's, dozens of Sakuras, dozens of Tazunas, and dozens of Sasukes.

Everyone was looking around in surprise at everyone else.

"Naruto, what are you doing!?" One Kakashi demanded of the Naruto next to him.

"Just following example!" A Naruto from a different part of the crowd responded.

"If fighting in concealment was his choice-" A different Naruto started.

"-I thought it best to remove that option from his grasp!" Another Naruto finished.

"Do you even have a plan?" A different Kakashi from the first, asked randomly, not seeming to know which Naruto to address.

"Yep! SCATTER!" The Narutos shouted.

Groups rushed off in all directions, each group having one copy of each person. Although, if one were to bother noticing, in most of the groups, the Naruto was pulling/dragging the resisting/protesting Sasuke away by his backpack.

In barely a moment, the area was empty, save for Zabuza, and one very shocked looking Kakashi.

"Hmm. It would seem you have a very disobedient squad, Kakashi. Not to mention, an incredibly foolish one." Zabuza sneered out in a mocking tone as he slipped a kunai out of his left sleeve. These were thick sleeves from the wrists up to the mid-bicep, without a shirt to attach to. Only a light leather strap at either ends held the fabric in place.

"I told them to stay out of this fight, and that's what they did. I'll deal with my students in my own time, in my own way. Zabuza." Kakashi replied coldly, bringing up his kunai in ready stance.

"You won't be able to do anything. Except maybe haunt their families with them when you're all DEAD!" Zabuza snarled as he dashed forward off the water towards Kakashi.

Kakashi waited as Zabuza charged in closer. A little distance from his target, Zabuza jumped in a long low arc, throwing his kunai ahead as he twisted into a kick. Kakashi leaned back slightly as the kunai passed over his shoulder. As Zabuza came in for his kick, he too missed over Kakashi, who hadn't righted himself, but had just allowed himself to continue falling backwards.

With his one hand, Kakashi slashed up at the passing Zabuza with his kunai as his other hand went behind his back to catch himself on the ground. Zabuza arched over the blade as he landed on the other side of Kakashi, turning to strike again. But Kakashi had turned his back fall into a back-flip as he one-hand-standed, pivoting, landing a spinning kick to Zabuza's face. As Zabuza's upper body was twisted by the impact in one direction, he pivoted on one foot to bring a kick into the upside-down Kakashi's stomach.

The two were propelled a dozen or so feet apart from each other as they caught themselves, sliding to a stop, facing each other, both in a crouch.

Zabuza brought up a hand to feel at his jaw, as the other reached down and picked up his kunai that he had stopped right next to. Kakashi raised up into a standing ready stance again, patting a little dust off the front of his vest. When Zabuza stood again, taking his stance, Kakashi raised his left eyebrow.

"More taijutsu? What, aren't you going to try that mist jutsu again?" Kakashi asked in a semi-bored, half-curious tone.

"No. When I spotted your group at first, I intended to panic the runts into making a mistake to give me a better shot at the old has-been while you tried to get them under control." Zabuza growled as he began dashing to try to circle Kakashi, who also began dashing, circling Zabuza. So they were literally running in a circle. "But they just showed their inexperience, running away from an opponent that they even had out-numbered!" The mist-nin abruptly shifted out of his circle pattern to charge Kakashi again.

"Of course they're inexperienced, being only three months or so out of the academy!" Kakashi shot back, charging at Zabuza.

The two met head-on, the kunai in Kakashi's right hand, and Zabuza's left hand, clanging against each other as their opposite hands came together in a mercy-grip lock.

"Three months!?" Zabuza grunted in disbelief, trying to shove Kakashi back as their kunai scraped sparks against each other, and their hands quivered in a contest of force. "Either the Leaf Village's standards have gone up for cadets, or your _trying _to get them killed, bringing them on a mission against the likes of me!"

"Hey, it's not like I knew you were hanging around!" Kakashi almost sounded like he was trying to explain being caught with cookies in the middle of the night. "This was supposed to be a simple escort. Then those two puddle pansies show up and get everyone riled," He tried to yank Zabuza around, but the mist-nin kept his footing, "Then you come along, throwing that overgrown butter-spreader around so carelessly... Say," Kakashi eyed Zabuza warily, "With a sword that big... are you... compensating for something?"

"HATAKE! You-" Zabuza's eyes snapped wide.

_**STOMP-STOMP**_

Zabuza howled in pain from his now flattened feet as Kakashi took the opportunity of his distraction to yank again, throwing the slightly taller man over his shoulder to slam into the ground.

"The toe-crusher. It's old school, I know, but these past couple months, I've actually been rediscovering my respect for the basics ever since I took on my genin team." Kakashi eye-smiled in amusement as he watched Zabuza roll for a moment then jumping up, though he was now trying to balance on the balls of his feet.

"You..." Zabuza growled with ever increasing fury. "Do you think this is some kind of game!?"

Kakashi rubbed his chin in thought.

"Hmm. Well, if it is, you don't seem to know how to play very well, do you?" Kakashi said, but paused when a kunai touched under his throat.

"Do I?" A Zabuza behind Kakashi chuckled as the other one fell apart in a splash of water.

"So... A water clone?" Kakashi mused as the kunai pressed against his skin. "Well... Ok, if that's what we're playing now..."

"Then it's your mo-GRK!" Zabuza gave a jerk as a Kakashi behind him stabbed him with a kunai in the mid back through his spine, right between the kidneys.

Zabuza splashed away again as the other Kakashi disappeared with a quick burst of smoke.

"Are we going to be going around in circles all day?" Kakashi asked, looking around until he spotted Zabuza standing out on the lake water.

Zabuza was whipping through hand-signs quickly.

"I can't waste more time with this, as I have a bridge builder to kill! So let's get serious!" Zabuza said as he finished his hand-signs. "Water Art, Water Dragon Jutsu!"

Kakashi's eyes widened as the lake water began to churn and swell up. Even as the water rose higher and it began to take shape, Kakashi rushed forward. Zabuza blinked in slight confusion at his opponent's actions as the water dragon took it's form. The water targeted Kakashi as it began to rush forward, even as Kakashi took a running leap.

"It's adult swim now!" Kakashi called as he dove into the lake.

Zabuza's eyes narrowed as his water dragon crashed down onto the lake surface, making huge splashes and waves as it collided, but otherwise, showed no effect.

"Clever, Kakashi. Using the lake itself as a shield. But while clever, it was also foolish!" Zabuza rushed over to where Kakashi had submerged himself, but the mist-nin frowned as he looked back and forth, seeing no sign of the leaf-nin.

A pair of arms abruptly clamped around Zabuza's chest, pinning his arms.

"Lightning Art, Shock Burst Jutsu!" Kakashi announced from behind.

_**ZZZZZZRRRRRRRKKKKZZZZZRRRRRKKKK**_

"AAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHH!" Zabuza convulsed as the electricity rippled over his body. He thrashed, only to stumble as the Kakashi holding him vanished in smoke. He fell to catch himself as his hands splashed in the water. His chakra control slipped a bit as he sunk about two inches. With a grunt, Zabuza corrected himself, getting back on top of the water as he straightened up. "This... This is getting extremely annoying!" He snarled, trying to locate his opponent again as he fought to stop his twitching muscles.

"Maybe you should try less mercenary work, and more school work!" Kakashi's voice seemed to come from everywhere in a hundred directions. "I think you're trying a little too hard!"

"And I didn't realize that the 'supposedly great' Kakashi was such a chatterbox!" Zabuza shot back, as his head whipped left and right, trying to narrow down his enemy's location. "Have you no pride in your professionalism!?" He shouted, but went rigid as from out of all the surroundings, the bushes, the trees, even from up out of the water along the shore, emerged at least 300 Kakashis.

They all glared at the shirtless wonder as they raised their hands, revealing they all had four shuriken in each hand, making eight per Kakashi. Zabuza gulped as he faced down the 2400plus shuriken.

"Pride is of no use to a dead man." The Kakashis declared grimly as they threw their weapons.

"AH! Water Art, Aqua Cascade Barrier!" Zabuza made hand-signs as fast as he dared as the veritable wall of metal swarmed towards him. A cylinder of water raised up around him, then twisted and poured over and outward, causing a two layer up-down-flowing wall of water.

The shuriken barrage slammed into the water, trying to cut through, even as shuriken hit the back of other shuriken, pressing them forward. But it wasn't enough, as the mass of water stopped them all, washing them down into the depths of the lake as the water fell away.

"So now you're on the defensive." One of the hundreds of Kakashi's stated. "But I doubt you can keep going at this rate for very long." All the Kakashis started doing hand-signs, half of them using one pattern, the other half using a different pattern.

"No! I won't be driven into a corner over such a pitiful target as a bridge builder!" Zabuza rapidly started his own hand-signs. "But I _will _gladly take this chance to crush an infamous ninja such as yourself!"

The first half of Kakashi's finished their signs, and brought up one hand to their masked faces.

"Fire Art, Fireball Jutsu!" They expelled a multitude of fire masses towards Zabuza. How the fire left their mouths without burning through their masks...?

For a split second, Zabuza was wondering what they were up to, since they were enough of a distance from him that the fireballs would dissipate significantly in the damp air by the time they reached him, if at all. That thought was obliterated when the second half of the Kakashis finished their signs right behind the first half.

"Wind Art, Blast Wave Jutsu!" They announced as their extended arms came together in a sharp clap, the impact projecting out chakra enhanced bursts of directed wind of sufficient force that they tore at the ground in their path

The wind bursts came up behind, and pushed into, the fireballs. They flared up, hotter, brighter, and now _faster _as they were accelerated at a very worried Zabuza. But it wasn't in time, as Zabuza finally finished his long pattern of hand-signs.

"Now I've got you! Water Art, Waterfall Vortex Jutsu!" The assassin called out in triumph, as it seemed that half the lake suddenly erupted to life.

The water roared up, rotating and spinning into a massive swirling tidal wave of massive force that blasted out from Zabuza's position. Not only did it completely overwhelm the barrage of fireballs, it tore into the landscape, crushing through the Kakashis that were lost beneath its raging mass.

Zabuza pushed even more chakra into his jutsu than was required, since he kept it active for several moments longer than it was supposed to last as he directed the rushing water back and forth ever so slightly, trying to make sure he got all of his enemies even though he couldn't see to well through the very waters he was using to attack.

Finally, Zabuza was forced to end his assault, letting the waters start to settle. He had drained nearly a quarter of the entire lake from his efforts, though the splash damage was receding as water was draining back into the lake from all the damage to the surrounding area.

Zabuza was breathing hard as he gauged his handiwork. He had been forced to use three of his most chakra-consuming jutsu in the span of only minutes, something that had not happened to him in a while. But just as he began to think he had finally terminated his opponent...

"GAAAA-HHEEEEEEHUUUUUHHHH!" Kakashi's head popped up out of the waters just to Zabuza's right, gasping desperately for breath.

Zabuza was enraged beyond reason that the leaf-nin was still alive.

"NO! I will end this NOW!" Zabuza immediately moved over to stand above the startled, water-treading ninja, performing yet more hand-signs.

"Wha-, wait!" Kakashi started in vain as he barely managed to look up.

"Water Art, Water Prison Jutsu!" Zabuza thrust his right hand forward, and instantly, Kakashi was incased in a ball of water on top of the water with Zabuza standing next to him, his right hand gripping into the water sphere.

"What-, what is this!? I can't move!" Kakashi grunted as he seemed to strain in his suspended position. Zabuza let out a triumphant laugh.

"HAHAHAHAHA! So this is the end of your interference!" Zabuza seemed to relax slightly, even through his breathing was still very heavy as he was approaching exhaustion. '_This isn't good. At the rate I'm going, I'll only be able to hold this prison for a few minutes before I'm out. Maintaining it does take less chakra than to create it, but not by much..._' He thought angrily. "Not that this hasn't been an exciting challenge, but I'm not being paid by the hour." Zabuza slipped a kunai out of his sleeve of his free arm, preparing to strike down his enemy. "And don't worry, I'll be sure to kill your students after I deal with the bridge builder. Wouldn't want them to live with the guilt of a failed mission, after all!" He chuckled maliciously. "And... I'm going to make sure that the fashion-deluded runt pays for ruining my precious sword. Oh yes, I'll kill him nice and slow..."

"I don't believe it will be as easy as you think." Kakashi stated at the man with a calm confidence that Zabuza didn't like at all.

"Oh? And why is that?" Zabuza's eyes narrowed as he raised up his kunai...

"HEY YOU! THE FREAK WITH NO EYEBROWS!" Came a vicious shout.

Zabuza turned to look to his left to see the orange-clad Naruto up on the bank, looking seriously pissed, and was spinning a windmill shuriken on his right hand.

"Well well, this is convenient." Zabuza chuckled between pants. "You've saved me the trouble of hunting you down after I deal with Kakashi."

Whatever humor Zabuza found in the situation, Naruto did not share it.

"First Kyaena-chan, then Iruka-sensei, and _now_... ... I... am getting **tired**... OF PEOPLE ALWAYS TRYING TO KILL MY SENSEIS!" Naruto shouted out his rage as he spun his shuriken even faster. "I tried playing soft, but you don't want it soft, do you!? You want to play hard! SO LETS PLAY HARD! I'LL BLOW YOU ALL THE WAY BACK TO KIRI!" Naruto hurled the shuriken, and it had barely left his grip as he snapped through several hand-signs. "Ninja Art, Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Zabuza's eyes widened in shock as the one large shuriken multiplied into a hundred large shuriken.

"You crazy brat! You're going to kill your sensei yoursel-" Zabuza gave a start when he heard a gurgle. His head whipped around to look at his water prison, but instead of Kakashi, suspended in it was just a whitish cloud of liquidized smoke. '_Another clone!? But that means..._' Zabuza didn't even have time to release his jutsu as he turned back to see the rapidly approaching blades. "NOOOOOOO!"

Naruto shifted his hands to the ram sign.

"DETONATE!" Naruto cried.

Windmill shuriken. Four, heavy duty, single edged blades. One explosive tag attached to the flat of each blade. Four per shuriken, times one hundred shuriken...

Oh yeah. That's a big boom.

Naruto held his arms in front of himself, bracing against the massive explosions. Shrapnel from the destroyed shuriken flew in every direction, and Naruto gave a grunt as several pieces hit him, though thankfully they only bounced off without doing more than scratching at his cloths.

"**BEAUTIFUL!**" Kyaena squealed, hopping up and down with excitement. "**You got him! You got him! I knew you could do it! THAT is the true result of your training, Naru-kun!**"

As the blasts and flames of the explosions died down, Naruto straightened up, looking to where his enemy had been. And he knew he was an enemy, and that to protect his team, he had to be eliminated.

'_It's strange... I wonder why I'm not feeling bad about killing him?_' Naruto thought as the smoke from the bombs was beginning to clear.

"**Because there is no reason to regret the choice that HE had made. Ninja fight and kill and die. He knew that as well as you do. If he died the way he chose to live, then there is nothing for you to feel bad about.**" Kyaena replied as she cleaned one of her paws. "**In a sense, you gave him an honorable death.**"

'_Maybe... But it's still-... What?_' Naruto stopped as he blinked at the sight in front of him.

Zabuza was struggling to pull himself out of the water onto the bank. The water around him was turning red from the blood seeping from his wounds. He had several burns over his body. His sleeves were ripped and charred. Even the bandage mask on his face was singed, though the water of the lake had probably saved him from the worst of that. But whereas Naruto had escaped injury from the shuriken shrapnel, Zabuza was not as fortunate. There were several obvious shards of broken metal sticking out of him, as blood leaked from the wounds into the water.

"What..." Zabuza groaned as he wobbly forced himself to his feet. "What are you...? I haven't known a kid as brutal as you since... myself!" He stared at Naruto with shock, and even a little fear.

"Grrr! So THAT'S why I wasn't feeling bad about killing you! YOU'RE NOT DEAD YET!" Naruto shouted in frustration, then began a new, very special pattern of hand-signs. "Well I'll finish you for sure this time! I've been itching to try this jutsu out for weeks!" He gave a nasty, foxish grin as his hands finished, stopped on the tiger sign. "FIRE ART," Naruto began inhaling a huge breath as his hands came up to in front of his face, fingers splayed as faint lines of red chakra criss-crossed between his fingertips like a web. But before he could continue, a sudden mass of pain assaulted Naruto's senses as senbon stuck all over the left side of his body. Up his left leg, his side, and all down his left arm. '_Arrrgghh! What the hell!? Where did those come from!?_' Naruto winced at the pain, fighting to stay upright.

"**Deal with that in a second! Finish the jutsu before you loose the chakra flow!**" Kyaena growled in anger as she tried to sense any KI from around Naruto, but didn't feel anything.

Naruto forced through the pain as he aimed on Zabuza.

"-HELLGATE FIRESTORM JUTSU!" His hands were still positioned in front of his face...

... And he exhaled.

* * *

Some distance from the initial encounter spot, squad seven was hurrying through the thin woods. Kakashi was carrying Tazuna on his back, with Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke running in front of him.

"You jerk! Why the hell did you drag us away from the fight!?" Sasuke demanded to Naruto.

"Well, considering how you were acting back there, it seemed like a good idea!" Naruto stuck his tongue out at his companion.

"You miserable-" Sasuke started to snarl, when their other teammate interjected.

"Sasuke-kun, go easy on him! You saw how dangerous that ninja was! Naruto's clones might have just saved our lives!" Sakura stated in an attempt to keep things from getting out of hand. But she had to look away when Naruto gave her a smile.

"Naruto, I'm EXTREMELY disappointed in you!" Kakashi announced with a somewhat harsh tone. His Hitai-ate had been pulled back down over his eye.

"Yeah, well, that makes two of us!" Naruto snapped back as he jumped over a log.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you could get into for disobeying my orders!?" Kakashi tried to glare at the back of the boy's head, but another thought was distracting him. '_What happened!? I thought I had earned Naruto's respect, but now it seems to be gone again!_'

"I thought dying was considered about as bad as it gets! So anything less would be a good trade off!" Naruto quipped, still not looking back.

"But Naruto, you should have at least given us a little more warning! If you hadn't grabbed us, I wouldn't have known which ones were the real us!" Sakura stated with some subdued annoyance.

"Enough! We don't have time to argue about this right now! Naruto's clones will barely buy us a few minutes, if that!" Kakashi shouted. "We need to find a spot that we can-"

"Actually, since that Zabuza guy isn't following us already, he must have his hands full." Naruto chuckled, as if he had some private joke...

"Don't be so cocky, Naruto!" Kakashi shouted, getting more worried by the second. "Zabuza will tear through the clones like they're nothing!"

"Then I guess it's a good thing that they're not the only thing he's up against..." Naruto chuckled again.

"What?" Kakashi blinked, VERY alarmed by the statement. "Naruto, what are you talking about!? Give me a straight answer!"

"A straight answer?" Naruto looked back at Kakashi with a skeptically raised eyebrow. "On this team? That's a bit of a stretch, isn't it?" He shook his head as he turned his attention back forward to see were he was going.

"Damn it Naruto! Answer me! What did you mean by what you said!?" Kakashi reached forward to grab Naruto's backpack, but it threw Naruto off balance...

"Hey! Leggo! You're going to make me-WAK!" Naruto tripped, fell forward, and hit his head on a rock...

_**POOF**_

The others all skidded to an abrupt stop, wide-eyed at the disappearing smoke.

"W-wait a minute..." Sakura blinked, looking back and forth. "That... That was a clone?"

_**BONK-BONK**_

"OW!" Sakura and Sasuke both grabbed their heads from Kakashi hitting them.

"Kakashi-sensei, what was that for!?" Sakura whined in pain.

"Hey, what's going on? Why-AH!" Tazuna gave a yelp as Kakashi dropped him to the ground.

"STAY WITH TAZUNA! THAT'S AN **ORDER**!" Kakashi yelled with such viciousness that the two genin could only nod rapidly as the jounin turned around and began running back the way they came as fast as he could.

As Kakashi ran, he uncovered his sharingan eye once more. His heart was pounding in terror as he didn't want to believe the truth that he had just realized.

Naruto had stayed behind to fight Zabuza alone.

Kakashi had left behind one of his students...

... And hadn't even realized it.

* * *

END OF CHAPTER

* * *

Author's Notes:

Yay! I passed 300 reviews!

Well, for you people who were hoping for a little more action, here you go. With the way I did this fight, I think I actually cut out two or three chapters/episodes from the canon manga/anime, since I didn't bother with all the explanations and flashbacks. Seriously, as I was watching my DVD's and checking my books, it was a little awkward to see so much going on that had nothing to do with the fight. Since I'm fairly sure most of you readers already know plenty about the Naruto timeline and events, I saw no reason to bore you with these particular details... this time. I'm not sure how things will go in future chapters, but I'll try to always throw in some things to be funny or hold your interest. This also accounts for why this chapter is a bit shorter, and why I managed to get it done a bit quicker. But I doubt any of you will mind.

For those of you who pointed it out, I fixed the Fox/Cat/Dog thing in the previous chapter. But it was only to smooth things out. I've seen lots of stories where people give the Kyuubi traits that are quite feline in nature, and I think I've already done so in this story as well. But it really doesn't matter that much. If you really need a reason, just remember, demons don't fall into conventional categories. Ok?

It's a little interesting isn't it? Kakashi gained a bit of Naruto's respect/trust, then lost it again. But how and why? That's something for you to consider. (grins)

I hope you liked the bit I did with the rabbit. I couldn't resist. (laughs)

Of the canon details I did keep in this chapter, the one and most important thing I refused to cut, was the Sasuke almost-suicide because he was so damn scared. It's such a stupid thing for Sasuke to be so condescending to others, to go on and on about his revenge and all that, only to try to kill himself in the first real dangerous situation he faces. I think it shows just how weak he really is.

And on the subject of Sasuke, I have been getting a few people saying I'm bashing him a bit to much. Making him to much a jerk. Truthfully, I don't think I've deviated from Sasuke's canon attitude, it's just that events have accelerated his state of mind. Please consider: In canon, Sasuke and Naruto had butted heads all throughout their time at the academy, with Naruto always pestering Sasuke and trying to prove himself against him. THIS DID NOT HAPPEN in my story! They did not meet face to face until their last year at the academy. By then, Sasuke's attitude would probably have decayed slightly, not having someone to constantly challenge and stand up to him. Let's face it, everyone else seemed to stay out of his way. Most of the girls thinking he was perfect, and most of the boys, even ones like Kiba, a little nervous to take on 'the last Uchiha'. Either they did think he was that good, or maybe they didn't want to get in trouble for picking a fight with him. Whatever relationship Sasuke and Naruto might have developed in canon, it hasn't happened in my story. So there is no 'brotherhood' thing going on between them. Also, don't forget, that Kyaena's opinion affects Naruto's opinion. Then there is the point, that in canon, Sasuke basically ignored Naruto, brushing him off as unimportant for a while. The reason: Sasuke thought, or rather, he was completely sure, that Naruto was weak. By the time the chunin exams were well under way, when Naruto was beginning to show that his strength was increasing, even when he still only knew a few basic jutsu, THAT was when Sasuke really started resenting him. I think it has to do with, while Sasuke knew that older ninja were more powerful than him, he had believed himself to be the strongest of his age group. And starting to see that it wasn't the case, really bugged him. So if seeing Naruto's strength was what set him off, then because, in my story, Naruto is showing that strength already, then Sasuke would also begin reacting to it as well. So I'm not entirely sure how things will progress later, but it's a pretty good bet that Sasuke is going to be getting worse. Remember, the original writer made Sasuke this way. So I don't think I can be faulted for keeping him that way. I'm hoping to make this the last time I have to explain out my reasoning behind how I portray Sasuke in my story.

I think I've covered what I need to for this chapter. The rest is for you to keep pondering.

To the next batch of reviews:

**Sociopathic-Antichrist**: I have to admit, someone that has a username like yours, liking my story... makes me nervous. But besides that, yes, the extra elements I added will hopefully come into play much later in the story. And I believe those extra five elements do make a kind of sense if you think about how they fit into the world. And try not to wig out about what Naruto did in this chapter. I have my reasons. Yes, the kunai will have it's own thing. I think it will amuse readers. As for the pairings... I'm afraid you'll have to wait and see. But I think you'll like it by the END of the Wave Arc.

**LemonySean**: If a major event happened to you, wouldn't you give it some thought? I would. So I think the characters would also.

**Weasel Fu**: Is your username anything like Skunk-Fu? Oh, never mind. To your concern about how to knock some sense into Kakashi, I'm sure this mission will do so... or rather, the consequences that follow will. And I do hope to keep Sakura's mother involved from time to time. You're right, Sakura is the only one on the team with family. I see it making sense that her mother would want to know about how her daughter's career is going. As for Sasuke, see above.

**Alchemist Astrid**: Your favorite Naruto story of all? I haven't even finished the Wave Arc yet! I wonder how you'll react when I'm moving through the chunin exams...

**ConnectFire611**: Allow me to clarify. Kakashi had never gotten involved with Naruto or Sakura before being assigned with the team. He only knew second hand information to base his opinions on. But then he started to get to know them, and his opinion changed accordingly. Kakashi doesn't think Naruto is 'THE' smart one, but he is glad that he's not a complete idiot (like canon). And besides, trying to suck up to Naruto from time to time might just help him get into Kyaena's good graces... Or not. Who knows? Besides me that is...

**Summon Boss**: Sorry about the confusion on the name of Zabuza's sword. I've switched it to the english version to avoid further misunderstanding. But then again, since it was destroyed in this chapter... Does it matter? (snickers)

**Fritter**: Naruto didn't fall for the reverse psychology, he just was just humoring Sakura and Kyaena.

**Aidis**: So, was this different enough for you? And yet not entirely different... But after this will definitely get complicated.

**Doctor Yami**: Like for Aidis, I hope I managed to speed things up a bit for you. Obviously, Kakashi and Naruto are going to be having a 'talk' in the next chapter. Plot development and all that. (shrugs)

**Xonseru**: You once waited 5 years, 7 months and 2 days for an update!? You are the **god **of patience! That is so totally, totally awesome!

**Dragon Man 180**: A Kyuubi/Iruka pairing? I don't think I've ever seen anyone do that before. Interesting.

**Keigai O Yain**: (slowly grins evilly) You know... I think that you and me are going to be having some interesting battles of wits during the course of my story. And I think I might try to make more polls in the future (one after another), just to try to burn your brain. (laughs manically)

**zeynel**: You make a good point about the people finding out/discussing Naruto's academy qualifications. I'll be making use of that later. Thanks.

**Akitesyu**: Excuse me, I'm not quite sure what you mean by story-in-story. I'm trying hard enough just keeping my own plot planning straight. I'm not sure trying to add a secondary storyline will be a very good idea. And the wind genjutsu is a good idea, but I'm not sure if I'll be able to find a way to stick it into my story. We'll see.

**Kyuubi123**: Again with the pairings. Well, I'll say this, if you can last until after the bridge fight, I think you'll be a bit more pleased in regards to Sakura.

**InARealPickle**: I'm sorry for making you cry (chap 7), and I hope that future chapters will satisfy your desire for something a bit different from canon. But remember, canon will always be my base. So yes, I will be keeping a fair amount of it in line, and yes, I'll continue to dress it up, or flesh it out, or however you want to say it.

**The Unicorn**: The part about Naruto freezing up has a reason. It was not forced. It will be explained in time. As will the reason Naruto didn't realize things with the puddle.

**filly8**: You read my reasoning for Sasuke? Good. I hope it's not a problem. (shrugs)

**PumpkinLordAuran**: Aw, nuts! You'd give me money? To bad that fanfiction is required to be free... (snaps fingers)

Thanks to all those who read, extra thanks to those that review, and royal thanks to those that enjoy.

Thank you all for your attention, time, and most of all, patience!

* * *

This chapter edited:

5-21-2013


	10. SOTS,1,02,03

(AN: For disclaimer, see my profile.)

(PS: And before you even have to ask, yes, I did 'it' on purpose. You'll know 'it' when you see 'it'.)

(PSS: I strongly suggest re-reading the previous chapter before this one, so as to get the events fresh back into your mind.)

* * *

**SOTS-1-02-03**

**Soul of the Seal - Story 1 - Arc 2 - Chapter 3**

**Chapter 3 - "It's All Because You Mist Me"**

* * *

Having just left Tazuna, Sakura and Sasuke in a small cluster of trees, Kakashi rocketed back through the woods, trying desperately to get back to his third student.

He was struggling not to panic. Panicking wouldn't help anything. He was a jounin. jounin aren't supposed to panic.

He had made sure that Sakura and Sasuke were 'real' before dashing off, but it hardly made him feel any better.

He couldn't even figure out how it had happened. When the one Naruto had grabbed the rest of them out of the crowd, Kakashi still had his sharingan open. He had looked right at the Naruto, and wasn't able to see anything different that would have indicated him to be a clone. He had thought it was the real Naruto.

And because of that mistake, Kakashi's real student was in a fight with a cold-blooded assassin, all alone.

But could Kakashi be entirely faulted? It certainly seemed as if Naruto had planned it to happen that way. But the question Kakashi kept asking himself was, why?

Why did Naruto disobey orders?

Why did he stay behind?

Why was he acting so differently in this fight, as opposed to what happened with the attack from the first two ninja?

There was something worse to it all, however. Something, in Kakashi's mind. Something that reminded him of why he had stayed away from all this for so long. Why he had avoided taking on a team for these past years. Because of what had happened with another team that he had been in charge of...

Kakashi tried to push those thoughts out of his mind as he felt a strong chakra burst from ahead. He couldn't be sure if it was Naruto or Zabuza. Then another burst. And even as Kakashi was getting close to the encounter spot where he had left Naruto, a third chakra burst flared, bigger than the first two, and suddenly Kakashi was faced with walls of water crashing through the trees at alarming speeds.

Kakashi fought against the flood that was knocking down trees left and right. He jumped up through the tree branches, trying to get above the trees, even for a few moments at a time, until the waters started to lessen, then drain away.

Being able to move forward again, he nearly stumbled when he heard, from just ahead, a series of large explosions. Kakashi's hands were shaking with building anger. He intended to rip Zabuza into a hundred pieces if Naruto was hurt... Or to give Naruto a hundred lumps on the head if he wasn't.

Finally, Kakashi reached a point in the trees that he could see Naruto standing ahead of him. The blonde boy was looking over at a staggering Zabuza who was struggling to pull himself out of the water onto the bank. The water around him was turning red from the blood seeping from his wounds. He had several burns over his body. His sleeves were ripped and charred. Even the bandage mask on his face was singed, though the water of the lake had probably saved him from the worst of that. There were several obvious shards of broken metal sticking out of him, as blood leaked from the wounds into the water.

"What..." Zabuza groaned as he wobbly forced himself to his feet. "What are you...? I haven't known a kid as brutal as you since... myself!" He stared at Naruto with shock, and even a little fear.

'_What!?_' Kakashi almost couldn't believe his eyes or ears. '_What in Kami's name has Naruto been doing!? How could he have-!?_' Kakashi's shock was interrupted by another.

"Grrr! So THAT'S why I wasn't feeling bad about killing you! YOU'RE NOT DEAD YET!" Naruto shouted in frustration. Kakashi was scared by that statement.

'_No... Naruto... He couldn't... He couldn't be trying to kill him...?_' Kakashi was wide-eyed as Naruto began making hand-signs. '_But he doesn't seem to... I mean, he's never..._' He was having trouble reasoning the events he was seeing as Naruto continued, oblivious to his sensei's presence.

"Well I'll finish you for sure this time! I've been itching to try this jutsu out for weeks!" The boy gave a nasty, foxish grin as his hands finished, stopped on the tiger sign. "FIRE ART-," Naruto began inhaling a huge breath as his hands came up to in front of his face.

'_ARGH!_' Kakashi's left hand came up to cover his sharingan, that began stinging/burning in a way he had never felt before. Because of it, even his vision out of his own eye blurred slightly, making him unable to see the last parts of what Naruto was doing. '_What is this!? What's happening!?_' Kakashi shuddered, trying to resist the urge to rip out his eye.

Kakashi tried to force himself to focus, and his regular eye widened when he saw his student suddenly get barraged with senbon down his left side. Kakashi whipped around looking franticly, and spotted someone up in the branches of a tree just at the edge of the clearing. The person had dark hair, seemed not that tall, though it was hard to tell given the circumstances, and the person was wearing a smooth mask with two small swirls of red paint. Kakashi was unable to discern anything more than that, but even as he reached for his kunai to attack the second enemy...

"-HELLGATE FIRESTORM JUTSU!" Naruto's voice shouted out, making Kakashi's head snap back around.

'_The WHAT jutsu!?_' The jounin gasped in shock, and despite being unable to let go of his left eye, was knocked back by the enormous blast of searing heat.

Zabuza, weak, battered and bleeding, was stunned by the flash that emitted from the blonde boy before fire filled his sight. A massive cloud wall of burning fury that reached out in every direction in front of Naruto. Not even an instant after the jutsu's activation, trees erupted into flame, the grass was scorched away, and Zabuza could feel his skin beginning to burn as the flood of energy rushed towards him.

As a killer, an assassin, Zabuza was slightly in awe as he beheld the bright orange and yellow chaos. But he couldn't help but also notice the flickers of white, blue... and _black _flames dancing here and there within the inferno. They moved in strange ways, almost making patterns... shapes... faces... skulls...

The flames roared forward as they sought to consume the wounded warrior. Zabuza only had time for one thought...

'_The demon of the mist destroyed by fire. How very... ironic..._' The ninja thought as his skin blistered, the fire was upon him, and something grabbed...

Kakashi was crouched down behind a large rock, trying to avoid the heat of Naruto's attack. He was fortunate that he was to the side and slightly behind Naruto's front field arc, but he was still feeling the effects as the grass around him smoldered. Had he been in front of Naruto, he had little doubt that he would have been in serious trouble. Kakashi barely managed to squint a momentary peek around the side of his protective rock to see the fire cloud consuming trees and reaching far out over the lake.

From the instant of ignition to when he ceased his effort, Naruto's jutsu only lasted about eight or nine seconds. He dropped his hands as he collapsed to fall on his right knee with a slight grunt.

Kakashi, hearing the main roar of the flames die away, jumped out from behind his protective boulder... and gawked at the sight he was confronted with.

All the ground in front of Naruto had been beyond burned. There were actually large areas that were red-hot to the point that stones were starting to melt away. The trees nearest the genin had crumbled into dead charcoal ash, while those burning further from him were well on their way to being reduced to the same state. The crumpled remnants of Zabuza's former sword, that had been off to the front right of Naruto, was already more than half-melted, and would soon be only a puddle of metal in another minute or so.

But as Kakashi slowly lowered his hand from his slightly stinging sharingan eye, the thing that shocked him the most, was the lake. The formerly calm lake, now a moderately _boiling_ lake as steam began rising off it.

'_That's impossible..._' Kakashi was stunned. '_A body of water like that, to be raised from near ocean temperature to the boiling point... The amount of heat needed... Not even the Dragon Flame Jutsu has that kind of output!_' Kakashi's thoughts were interrupted by the low voice of his student.

"Incomplete... Damn it." Naruto muttered as he was examining his handiwork as well. "It's still not working the way I intend it to." He grimaced as he tentatively pulled out one of the senbon in his left elbow.

"**But it's close. It seems to only need a little more refinement in the conversion to reach the maximum effectiveness.**" Kyaena offered as she directed energy into Naruto's arm and leg. "**No wonder these were so painful. Several of them are directly piercing the nerves. If not for me, you would have dropped like a rock.**" She frowned at the precision injuries as Naruto grumphed in response.

Kakashi was not stupid, despite how he acted some of... I mean part of... ok, all of the time. He had been worried about who had taught Naruto such a dangerously overpowered jutsu. But to hear what he said... If Naruto had said that the jutsu hadn't worked the way it was _supposed _to, then Kakashi could believe that someone had taught it to him. But Naruto had said that it didn't work the way _he intended _it to. Which meant that Naruto hadn't been taught it... He had _created _it.

'_But how?_' Kakashi, realizing that there was no sign of Zabuza or the other ninja he had seen, pulled his Hitai-ate back down over his aching eye. '_How could he have created something that powerful? He doesn't have clearance to access the archive materials necessary to... Wait a minute..._' The jounin's brain started to fizzle from shock overload. '_He said... incomplete? The jutsu is THAT powerful, and it's not even at its final form!?_' Kakashi resolved to find out how Naruto had managed to accomplish his feat... That is, who had helped him. After all, it was a short list, with Kyaena at the top. Kakashi started over towards his injured student. "Naruto!"

Despite barely being able to dodge the shuriken that shot past his head, Kakashi was a little curious about the surprised look on Naruto's face when the boy turned to look at him.

"Wha-? Kakashi!? What the hell are you doing!?" Naruto scowled in obvious annoyance. "You're supposed to be getting Troll-san and the others out of here! And tha-" Naruto stopped as his eyes widened, looking from Kakashi, to the senbon sticking out of himself, then back to the copy ninja. "Hey! What's the deal? DID YOU JUST ATTACK ME!?"

"WHAT!? Of course not! How could you even think that!?" Kakashi shot back as he knelt down next to Naruto. "There was another ninja, over in the trees. Presumably working with Zabuza." He looked at the senbon. "But he got away before I could get to him. Due to my being distracted." Kakashi gave a slightly pointed glare.

"**Distracted? Just when you're attacked. Right. That's certainly believable. NOT!**" Kyaena snarled as her fur rippled furiously.

"Then explain how I didn't feel any other KI around, I got attacked, then turn around to see you?" Naruto demanded as he grabbed a handful of senbon sticking out of his left forearm sleeve, yanking them out.

"Hey hey! Careful! Even as tough as you are, if you take them out like that, it could cause problems!" Kakashi tried to stop him, but Naruto just swatted out the rest of the senbon from his forearm.

"Oh take it easy. The ones on my forearm and lower leg were stopped by my weights. My belt stopped one or two. My upper arm will be fine, but I need a minute to get the others out of my thigh." Naruto stated in annoyance as he continued removing the rest of the senbon from his arm and shoulder, setting them in a small pile.

"Weights? What weights?" Kakashi blinked twice with momentary confusion.

Naruto looked up as he pulled the last senbon out of his shoulder. Rolling his eyes slightly, he set down the metal needle and pulled his left sleeve back to reveal a tightly strapped leather bracer on his arm over a chain mesh armor shirt. Lengthways strips all around the bracer were stuffed with solid metal rods/bars.

"On each arm, on each leg down just above my ankles, and my belt is weighted as well." Naruto pulled his sleeve back into place as he started taking the senbon out of his leg.

"How long have you been wear-, I mean, how long have you been using them?" Kakashi was momentarily stunned. "How much weight do you have on?" He blinked. '_And when did he start wearing mesh armor?_' He thought with considerable worry. It wasn't something a twelve year old, even a ninja one, should feel the need to get for themselves without being told.

"I've used them for years, and I have no idea how much I have on. I just keep increasing them whenever I get used to them." Naruto responded with increasing annoyance as he tried to concentrate on getting the remaining senbon out of his thigh. '_Stupid chain mesh. Great against blades like swords, kunai and even most shuriken, but worth absolute zip against senbon that can slip right between the links._' He grumbled internally.

"**Hey, three out of four is good enough. And it's the most flexible armor we can use without penalizing your range of motion.**" Kyaena shrugged as she reminded him of their reasoning.

"We'll talk about that later." Kakashi shook his head slightly to clear out his surprise as he remembered the original reason of his arrival. "As for now, I want you to explain just what the _**hell**_ you were thinking, staying behind like that!?"

"I was THINKING that I was doing my job!" Naruto snapped as he took a small length of wire out of his left ninkit. "Which is more than I can say about YOU!" He bundled up the senbon and tied them up with the wire before placing them into his ninkit. Waste not, want not.

"What are you talking about? YOU'RE the one who disobeyed orders!" Kakashi snapped back as the two stood up.

Naruto, who had been looking at the steaming lake, whipped around.

"Genin, in a Manji defense formation, against an ex-ANBU mist-nin!? Were you TRYING to get us killed!?" Naruto jabbed Kakashi in the stomach. "You're first and only order should have been for us to get Troll-san out of harms way while you delayed Zazy!" Naruto jabbed him again, a little harder. "But for some stupid reason, you thought it would be fun to have us underfoot!" A harder jab, making Kakashi flinch. "You really thought we would handle that!? Sakura-san was barely holding together, and Sasuke was so damn scared that I actually had to stop him from killing himself!" Naruto's last jab was strong enough to knock the jounin back a few steps. "Or are you going to tell me that you somehow didn't notice THAT happen either!?"

"And what if I had ordered you away, and that other ninja had attacked your group!? I wouldn't have been able to help you!" Kakashi countered, rubbing at his stomach that was sure to have a slight bruise later.

"I'm not convinced of that! If this 'supposed' other ninja was really working with Zabuza to kill Troll-san, then why didn't they try to kill him from behind when our attention was diverted?" Naruto frowned in slight confusion over his own reasoning.

"**Good question. But unfortunately there's no real way to know, unless we asked the person. It could have been for any number of reasons.**" Kyaena replied in her own contemplation.

"There are no certainties in battle." Kakashi tried to sound scolding/lecturing. "He probably didn't strike due to the unknown factor of what the team was capable of."

"Well..." Naruto looked back over the lake again, "One thing is certain, and that is that Zabuza is still alive." The blonde snorted in annoyance.

"What!?" Kakashi blinked in total bafflement. "You INCINERATED him! How can you be so sure he's alive!?" Kakashi shouted out in severe frustration. He was supposed to be berating Naruto for his disobedience, yet somehow, the conversation was not going his way.

"There are no remains." Naruto pointed to the edge of the water. "As it was, my jutsu would only have burned away his flesh. But there should still be a few charred bones left. But there aren't." He turned to glare at his sensei again. "And second, if there was another ninja, the one who attacked me, why didn't he continue to attack me? The most likely reason is that the senbon were to try to disable me, while the guy made a mad dash to get Zazy out of harms way. And the fact that we've been standing here talking for a minute or two without being attacked again, implies that they got away." Naruto frowned as he realized something. "If you had concentrated on going after them instead of wanting to yell at me, you might have been able to finish them off! You fool!" He pointed accusingly at the shocked jounin.

"WHAT!?" Kakashi gasped. "Your safety was my highest concern! I nearly had a heart attack when I realized that you had stayed behind!"

"I had to! To make sure the team got away safely!" Naruto shot back.

"You had no business trying to fight a jounin! You have absolutely no idea how jounin fight!" Kakashi scolded at the ludicrous of the thought. "He was way over your level!"

"**I wonder how he would react to knowing that some of his own leaf-nin jounin buddies have beat on you in the past, and **_**that's **_**where you get your experience?**" Kyaena snarled out, hating Kakashi for daring to doubt Naruto's judgment. But Naruto wasn't really listening to her at the moment.

"Well apparently NOT!" Naruto snapped at his sensei. "Or how else would you explain how the score now stands at leaf-genin one, mist-jounin zero!?"

"A fluke!" Kakashi sputtered. "An absolute once-in-a-lifetime freak fluke! But that's not the point!" He shook his head to shake off the ridiculousness of the moment. "I'm responsible for your life, for all three of your lives! You, Sakura and Sasuke! How do you expect me to protect you if you just disobey orders at random and go running off wherever chasing after rouge-ninja!?"

"HELLO!? We're NINJA! We live dangerous lives!" Naruto blared in exasperation. "I DON'T expect you to protect me! I _expected _you to _train me _to protect _myself_!" That statement held a smidgen of accusation. "You really expect me to believe that you'll be around for _every _danger on _every _mission I ever take!? Huh!?" Naruto glared at the older man expectantly.

"No, of course not! But it is my responsibility to make sure you LIVE long enough to get to that point!" Kakashi's head dipped slightly. "Yes, it's true that there is always a chance of death on any mission away from the village, but the lives of genin are considered more... well, it's just so much harder to loose a genin, one who hasn't lived as long as they should have." Kakashi's visible eye seemed to take on a tinge of distant sadness. "You genin are the future, Naruto. Being reckless and cutting that future short is a terrible thing, not just for yourself, but for everyone. You are extremely important to the village."

Although Kakashi had meant that last statement in a general sense, as in 'genin are important to the village', Naruto had misinterpreted it as being addresses to him specifically, as in 'You Naruto, are important to the village'. So the next words out of the blonde's mouth were, needless to say, absolutely abhorrent to Kakashi's ears.

"Important!?" Naruto scoffed. "Don't even try to play that route, Kakashi! We both know that I'm considered the most expendable member of our group! That's why I stayed behind as the diversion so you could get away!"

While Kyaena started screaming out kitsune words (that are better left un-translated) in sheer outrage of Naruto's opinion of himself, Kakashi was equally outraged, for different, yet similar, reasons. He lashed out to grab Naruto's jacket with both hands, intending to yank the shorter boy off the ground, only to find that the genin was a LOT heavier than expected. Kakashi couldn't even lift Naruto's feet off the ground, with the jacket in his hands threatening to rip before that happened. So he settled for getting as much in Naruto's face as possible.

"Don't you ever, EVER use that word again!" Kakashi shouted louder than he had at nearly anyone in years. "No one, NO ONE on this team is expendable! Do you understand me Uzumaki!?"

Naruto grimaced as he smacked Kakashi's hands away with enough force that there would be small bruises later.

"Will you CHILL already!? I didn't say I AM expendable, I said I was the _most _expendable! There's a huge difference you know!" He snapped. Kakashi and Kyaena both paused in slight confusion.

"**E**x**p**l**a**i**n** y**o**u**r**s**e**l**f**." They both ordered in unison. Naruto rolled his eyes slightly at the similarity.

"Being just plain expendable would mean there is no value to my life at all, and if I were to die, there wouldn't be any consequences at all in the wake of my passing." The genin forced his explanation through grit teeth. "However, even in a group where everyone has a worth, being the _most_ expendable means that I still have a place, but my loss would cause the _least _amount of problems or pain for others."

"And just how did you come to that conclusion?" Kakashi frowned in confusion and denial, but couldn't be expected to form a counter argument unless he had all the information.

"You're the big bad Kakashi Hatake. An elite jounin, though I don't know what else. You're not in my edition of the bingo book." Naruto stated flatly with a small frown.

"Bingo book!?" Kakashi's eye threatened to pop out. "How did you get a bingo book!? ... ... And what do you mean, 'your edition'?" He added as an afterthought.

"I snagged an extra one from Old-Man-Hokage's office. And it doesn't have Konoha ninja in it beyond the few... traitors... that are still alive. It focuses mainly on dangerous ninja from other villages. But anyways," Naruto waved it off, "You're strong, supposedly, you've got whatever experience and what not. So you'd obviously be considered an important asset. Loosing experience is always bad, so you're out. Then there's the Duck-Butt Uchiha wuss." Naruto tried to avoid the bad taste in his mouth. "The high-and-mighty last of the Uchiha clan. Do you have any idea how many times I've seen people from all over the village trying to suck up to him?" Naruto shuddered. "I don't know what they're all expecting from him, but it's obviously big. They wouldn't want his ugly foul-ass excuse for a head harmed in any way. So he's out. Then... there's Sakura-san." Naruto paused as his face softened slightly, but it was not a look of affection... it was one of painful wistfulness. "I don't know what she'll become, or how strong a ninja she would ever be, but she has something more important than any of our skills or strengths."

"Oh?" Kakashi blinked with sudden interest. "And what's that?"

Naruto, who's gaze had drifted off into nothingness, snapped back to attention as he locked a dead-serious glare up at the jounin.

"Out of the four of us... she's the only one who still has living family." Naruto stated as he lifted his chin slightly.

"Wha-? That's..." Kakashi sputtered in genuine surprise. '_Whoa-K, that was nowhere near what I was expecting him to say._' So stunned was he, that he unthinkingly went to correct his student's statement. "Uh, Naruto, I realize you don't know this, but Sasuke actually has a brother-"

"TRAITORS DON'T COUNT!" Naruto roared. "Nothing should ever be more important than family! What Itachi did was unforgivable!" Naruto spat, sending Kakashi's mind into stage 1 panic alarm. "In fact, I completely understand Sasuke's obsession with his revenge, my only problem is his attitude about how he seems to be going about it!" Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Naruto! How do you know about Itachi!? What do you know!?" Kakashi gasped out in severe shock and concern.

Naruto paused as he blinked for a moment.

"You'll have to ask Old-Man-Hokage about that, I'm not allowed to say." The boy shook his head. "The point that I was making is that I consider you, Sakura-san and Sasuke important that you survive! I'm a nobody as far as the world is concerned, so if I have to take some bigger risks to keep the rest of you safe, I will!" Naruto suddenly shuddered as a most unpleasant thought ran through his mind. "Because I would never be able to face walking into the Haruno home and having to tell them that Sakura-san died because I wasn't strong enough..."

"**Why?**" Kyaena muttered quietly. "**There wouldn't be anything to feel bad about, seeing as how that pink-haired slime isn't worth protecting...**" She growled.

_'QUIET!_' Naruto mentally screamed, causing Kyaena to jump slightly in surprise.

Kakashi stared down at his student, trying to make sense of the points of views that the blonde was proclaiming.

"So... You want to keep us safe, because you want to spare others the pain of loss if we were to die?" Kakashi asked slowly.

"Yes." Naruto muttered, not willing to meet his sensei's gaze at the moment. "Especially Sakura-san. Because hers is a position in which far more would be lost."

"Well, what about you? Don't you think Kyaena-chan would suffer if you died?" Kakashi asked, hoping to finally get his point across. "Don't you care about her feelings-"

"DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO TELL ME WHAT KYAENA-CHAN FEELS!" Naruto's fury at Kakashi's words was strong enough that the twelve-year-old actually shoved the jounin back, causing Kakashi to fall back onto his butt... which happened to land on one of the glowing red rocks in the ground, still hot from Naruto's pyroclastic display earlier.

"YEAOUCH!" Kakashi screamed as he jumped around, swatting at his singed posterior.

"I've known Kya-chan my whole life! You met her ONCE for five minutes!" Naruto snarled out with a jabbing finger. "You have no right to even _pretend _to know what she thinks and feels, and no right to act so familiar with her! She and I have already come to terms about what will happen if I should die, so keep your damn nose out of it!" Naruto, despite his anger at the moment, couldn't help but still feel a twinge of fear at the thought of the deal he and Kyaena had made. If Naruto ever got into a situation in which death was an absolute certainty with no chance of escape, he would release the seal. He would die anyway, but at least Kyaena would live... and probably kill his killer, since it was unlikely that Naruto would die of natural causes... with a few exceptions.

The problem with that arrangement, however, was the fact that it's hard for anyone to willingly admit that they're about to die and not try to get out of it by pure instinct. Naruto wasn't sure he'd have the conviction to do it if the time came. Then there's the second problem that such a situation might not give Naruto enough time to release the seal. Even though the pair had done a few 'trial runs', it still would take Naruto about three seconds to release the seal, and they were both very aware that in the ninja world, that could be a very big gap of vulnerability.

Having soothed the burning sensation on his backside, Kakashi turned to face his student again, and was, quite frankly, starting to get pissed at the blondes attitude.

"So you don't want people risking their lives for you, yet you think it's ok for you to throw yourself in danger for others even if they don't ask you to!?" The heavily masked man demanded as he got back up in Naruto's face again.

"**He doesn't seem to take a hint, this guy!**" Kyaena growled in annoyance.

"Isn't that exactly what _you're _trying to do!?" Naruto raged back into Kakashi's argument.

Kakashi reeled back in surprise, knowing there wasn't any way for him to deny that statement. But that didn't mean he was about to let Naruto win the argument on this very important matter of mission safety... without a fight.

* * *

On the far side of the lake from the arguing leaf-nins, two figures emerged from the scalding hot waters, the smaller masked one of the two franticly dragging the larger wounded, blistered, burnt and bleeding man. And he was bleeding quite badly. Even though the metal shrapnel fragments were still lodged in his body, the hot water of the lake had caused increased blood flow from the wounds, as well as preventing them from clotting at all.

The masked and totally soaked through individual quickly reached into a pocket, pulling out a sealed packet. Ripping it open, they pulled out several smaller sealed packages, and ripped one of them open. He reached to pull down Zabuza's mask bandages, only to have the hand grabbed.

"What... the hell... are you doing...?" Zabuza groaned out.

"Save your prideful snarls for later! Swallow this blood pill before you bleed to death!" She shoved his hand away and pulled off his facial cloth, stuffing the small round pill into his mouth.

Once the emergency medical supplement was swallowed, the masked figure quickly made a few handsigns, and ice instantly began to form over most of the injured parts of Zabuza's body to prevent further blood loss or damage to the skin. Zabuza nearly howled out in pain from the ice contact against his exposed burns, open blisters and gashes, but a spare scroll was abruptly shoved into his mouth to keep him from revealing their position.

Satisfied that his partner was silenced, the masked figure began pulling out some more first-aid materials from her pockets, as well as some senbon and minute surgical thread. She then began to slowly remove sections of ice to work at the multiple wounds one at a time, not wanting to rush and make mistakes, but having to hurry because of the danger of having a wounded body encased in ice too long. He wouldn't want to heal up Zabuza's wounds, only to find the assassin dead from hypothermia.

With the pain being numbed by the ice, Zabuza let the scroll-gag slip from his mouth.

"What happened... back there?" He grunted through clenched teeth. "Why didn't you jump in sooner, Haku?"

"Too much was happening all at once. I was having trouble following who was who, and who went where when." Haku replied with a bit more composure, now that she believed that Zabuza's life could be saved.

"... Try again. And this time, be a little MORE vague, why don't you?" Zabuza tried to growl, but it came out as a strained cough.

"Quiet! These are serious wounds! Don't strain yourself right now! It will take me a while to treat these, and even then it will be difficult to get you back to the base!" Haku hissed urgently as he removed her mask so he could see a little better at what she was doing. "If you're going to listen, do it quietly. Now... It started when you tried to use the Hidden Mist Jutsu. That's when the blonde boy created all the clone duplicates. The problem was, they weren't normal clones. If they had been, I could have easily picked out the real ones. They were all solid, as was evident from their footfalls when they all scattered."

"Solid? You mean, shadow clones? Like Kakashi was using?" Zabuza blinked in disbelief. "So I was right about those kids. They must be something else if he is teaching them such advanced techniques already."

"...No, actually." Haku shook his head. "When the groups scattered, leaving the 'Kakashi' behind with you, I couldn't tell which ones were the originals, so I stayed to watch your fight in case you needed assistance, thinking we could always catch up with the others later. In doing so, while I was maneuvering around the trees, I spotted that some of the clones hadn't run off, but had hidden in the surroundings. Then they all transformed into Kakashi, save one." Her face tensed with seriousness.

"Eh?" Zabuza raised a non-existent eyebrow.

"I watched as you fought 'Kakashi', but they were all clones. You might have thought 'he' was using speed and substitution to maneuver around in your fight, but actually, all it was, when you cornered one and your attention was diverted, another of the clones would sneak out to take a position to strike at you." Haku had finished with Zabuza's right leg, and so she moved to remove the ice from his left to continue his medical administrations. "It was just to get you to use up your chakra while he observed your abilities and jutsu."

"Damnable Copycat..." Zabuza frowned in frustration. "Just wanting to steal my jutsu for himself..."

Haku actually paused a moment in his treatment to let her eyes meet Zabuza's.

"I'm afraid you're not understanding what I'm trying to tell you. You weren't fighting Kakashi. You never were. It was the blonde boy the whole time." Haku said softly.

"...What?" Zabuza blinked.

"After you had attacked with your Waterfall Vortex Jutsu, there were only two chakra signatures left. The clone you caught in you water prison, and the boy, who came out of hiding to confront you. When he was about to use that... disturbing fire jutsu on you, I could tell he wasn't going to stop until he was convinced you were dead. That's why I didn't use our planned possum extraction. I tried to disable the boy, but for some reason, he didn't drop when I struck at his pain nerves." Haku's near porcelain, albeit slightly red, face furrowed slightly. "I still don't know how he managed to stay standing, let alone be able to finish his jutsu. It was all I could do to pull you into the water to keep you from being killed. It was all the boy." Haku finished in a somber tone.

"B-but, it can't be! There were hundreds of shadow clones of Kakashi when they attacked with their shuriken! The boy couldn't have made them all!" Zabuza's eyes widened in disbelief. "No one has that much chakra, not even the Yondaime Mizukage could do that! Your telling me I just had my ass kicked by a blasted GENIN!?"

"A genin who caught and destroyed your sword with his bare hands, who showed no sign of intimidation at your KI, and who had the audacity to disobey the orders of his sensei, who is the legendary Kakashi Hatake." Haku responded, not even looking up this time. "I believe we may be in over our heads with this job."

The two fell silent for several minutes as Zabuza lay still, contemplating what Haku had just told him. Haku idly mused that he thought she could hear the faint sounds of loud arguing coming from the other side of the lake.

"I haven't lived this long by making careless mistakes." Zabuza said at long length. "That runt of a worm, Gato, didn't give us enough information. But I think it was because he didn't know, not that he withheld anything. I had thought this would be a simple kill. But clearly, we will have to be much more careful in our next attempt."

"And that _won't _be soon." Haku stated firmly. "You have to recover first."

Zabuza wanted to argue the point, but knew it would be pointless when dealing with his apprentice on that particular matter. So he settled for a grumble.

"Yes, I'll need _some _time to recover. But it can't be too long. The bridge is already more than three-fifths complete." The wounded mist-nin frowned. "After the Akuma-brothers failed, and now this infuriating debacle, there's no way that Kakashi will leave the bridge builder unguarded for even a second. Especially if the blonde freak can make that many shadow clones and still have energy for jutsu. And this is all without even knowing what the others are capable of..."

"I'm not convinced the other two genin are anywhere near the same level as the blonde." Haku shook his head. "Remember, though the blonde didn't flinch when you confronted them at first, the pink haired girl and the dark haired boy did show signs of fear. In fact, it almost looked like the dark boy was about to kill himself at the time, if the blonde hadn't stopped him." She commented with some curiosity.

"Regardless, we need to know as much about them as possible before our next attack. You will gather information on them while I recover. Use whatever means necessary, and..." Zabuza paused to consider something.

"... Should I try to eliminate them if given the opportunity?" Haku asked with a quiet voice.

"... I'll leave that to your discretion, but keep in mind, taking them out one at a time would alert the remaining ones and make it more difficult to get to them. But the group together may be too strong for you to take on alone. Even with your special gift." Zabuza muttered in disapproval of the whole situation. "If you're going to eliminate one, predictably, it should be the blonde. We don't need his firepower hanging over us. Try not to get _too _close to Kakashi, as he is an elite jounin. He might be able to sense your deceptions. And we still don't know exactly how his sharingan works. Getting information on him from his students may not yield much, and who knows how accurate it would be, but it will be better than nothing."

"Alright. I'll plan something." Haku nodded slowly. "But first, we still need to get you back to the base. And I think I might need some more herbs to treat these deeper shrapnel wounds properly..." His voice trailed off as she carefully extracted one of the metal fragments.

"What is it?" Zabuza flinched slightly as the intrusive shard was removed.

"I think there was something else. I can't be sure, but I think I noticed some tension between the genin. It could mean that they haven't yet had time to really come to trust one another. After all, didn't that one clone you were fighting say something about them only being three months out of the academy?" Haku asked with a slightly amused voice.

"I think it's clear that we can't trust anything that was said by that... boy." Zabuza huffed.

"Still, they are young enough to believe that they haven't been ninja for long, and the fact that they are apparently still genin, as evidence by their lack of standard rank vests that Konoha uses." Haku offered.

"And one of those genin is more dangerous than most enemies I've fought in a long time." Zabuza countered.

They fell silent again as they continued to think about the group they were up against.

'_There's no disputing that the blonde is dangerous._' Haku thought. '_But with the fear the other two were showing, I wonder what they are going to be like?_'

* * *

Tazuna, Sakura and Sasuke were standing in the spot that Kakashi had left them several minutes prior. Tazuna was rubbing his butt, while Sakura was still rubbing her head.

"Owww... Why did Kakashi-sensei hit us?" The young kunoichi groaned.

"Something got his belt in a knot, that's for sure." Tazuna grumbled. He looked around for a moment. "Does it have something to do with where the runt is?"

Sakura blinked at the absence of the blonde of the team as her brain rebooted from Kakashi's 'crash'-down.

"Hey, that's right! It was one of Naruto's clones that was with us!" Sakura looked around rapidly. "But then, where's the real Naruto?" Her attention was pulled by the under-breath snarl of her other teammate.

"He stayed behind..." Sasuke was staring off in the direction that Kakashi had run off, back to where their encounter had been. "That _bastard _stayed behind to fight while he had his clones drag _us _away!" His hands were clenched tightly at his sides.

"W-what!?" Sakura gasped at the thought. "B-but why would he-?"

"Come on! We have to get back there!" Sasuke snapped as he grabbed one of each Sakura's and Tazuna's wrists, and yanked them along as he took off as quick as he could.

"Whoa, hey, hold it! What the heck are you doing!?" Tazuna gasped out as he tried to keep up with the boy, while at the same time trying to pull himself out of the grasp.

"Sasuke-kun, wait! Stop! You're hurting me!" Sakura cried at the uncomfortably tight grip on her wrist. "Kakashi-sensei told us to wait here!"

"Wrong! He told us to stay with Tazuna-san! So as long as we don't separate, we're not disobeying orders!" Sasuke's somewhat smug tone made it clear he was thinking he was sooooo smart for realizing that little loop-hole.

"B-but, I'm sure he meant for us to stay put..." Sakura whined, but started keeping pace with Sasuke to ease the pain on her arm.

"She's right! Your teammate helped us to get away, so it's stupid to turn around and go running back into danger! We should stay put and wait for your sensei to come back!" Tazuna argued, his attempts to pull out of Sasuke's grip repeatingly unsuccessful. "Hey, brat, are you even listen-" Tazuna's comment was cut short as Sasuke jerked to a sudden stop, releasing Sakura as he whipped out a kunai and held it threateningly to the old man's chest.

"Don't you EVER address me like that!" Sasuke growled out. "I am the last heir of the noble Uchiha clan! The oldest and most powerful ninja clan on the continent!" He pressed the kunai against Tazuna just hard enough to pinch. "You WILL show me the respect I deserve! Understand!?"

Tazuna didn't reply verbally, but he frowned down at the dark boy with an expression of disapproving concern.

'_This boy is seriously off in the head..._' The veteran bridge builder worried. '_At least the blonde hasn't __**actually **__threatened me, he's merely annoyed me._'

"Now lets go! I want to get back before all the action is over!" Sasuke snapped, taking off again, still holding Tazuna, though Sakura now jogged along beside them on her own.

The trio made their way back the way they had originally come from, back the way Kakashi had run off. Sakura was getting more worried by the minute. She didn't know what was going on. Part of her was angry that Naruto had fooled them and sent them off with a clone, but it was an amazingly small part of her. A second part of her was upset at how Sasuke was acting, and how she thought he was disobeying Kakashi's orders, or the spirit of them anyway. Again, it was a surprisingly small part of her. The largest part of her was thinking about the fact that Naruto had stayed behind to delay the enemy. A jounin enemy. One that even Kakashi was worried about. She had an increasing fear in her stomach that by the time they got back, there wouldn't be anything left of Naruto...

The thoughts of all three were momentarily distracted when they suddenly entered into an area that was heavily and inexplicably muddy. They all blinked in confusion as the ground had been solid earlier. They noticed broken branches of various sizes littered everywhere, apparently ripped from trees, but not from the ones they were laying under, but rather from ones they encountered a few moments later from further on. It was a bit odd.

They continued until they were reaching the spot they were heading to, and they began to hear shouting ahead. They hustled forward the last little bit until they stopped at the edge of the clearing, drop-jawed at the sight of the area of destruction, the smoking debris, the still slightly boiling lake which was attempting to fill the air with light mist, and their arguing comrades.

"-decision in the interest of the safety of the _team_!" Kakashi shouted at Naruto.

"I had already taken care of the safety of the _team_!" Naruto shouted back. "You should have gone after them and finished them off! So they wouldn't be any further threat to the _team_!" The blonde jabbed at Kakashi's stomach.

"Why would I need to, when you're so casually blowing up everything in front of you to wipe out any jounin that happens along!?" Kakashi jabbed at Naruto's shoulder while gesturing wildly to the badly scorched surroundings, some of which was still burning or the stones in the ground that were still red-hot.

"Well damn! Make it sound EASY why don't you!" Naruto threw up his hands in aggravation. "I'll have you know it took nearly every jutsu I know to beat that guy!" Naruto also pointed franticly at the seared scenery.

"_Nearly _every jutsu you know?" Kakashi asked with heavy sarcastic scrutiny.

"Well I doubt my sexy jutsu would have been all that effective in this situation!" Naruto huffed at the obvious. "With that last fire jutsu not quite finishing the job, I was, to be honest, starting to run short on ideas!"

"Oh, so you were running on _short _ideas?" Kakashi mocked severely.

"HEY!" Naruto grabbed at Kakashi's vest, pulling the masked man down nose-to-nose. "If you want a review on my ideas, I could provide a live interactive replay, complete with all the realistic PAIN feedback for your consideration!" The boy growled through clenched teeth as the two glared eye-to-eye.

Sakura and Sasuke were standing, utterly stunned at what was happening. Tazuna was hunched over, braced on his knees as he gasped to catch his breath, so he wasn't really paying attention yet. The genin found it hard to believe that their normally so casual and lazy sensei was in such a shouting match. Sasuke was looking around in disbelief at the damage done to the area, NOT wanting to believe what he was hearing. That Naruto was the cause.

Sakura was facing two feelings that were struggling to take precedence on her mind. One was relief that both Kakashi and Naruto were ok, and that the enemy jounin, Zabuza, was no where to be seen. The second, of course, was severe irritation, bordering on full-out anger, that she had been SO worried about Naruto, only to find him not only completely alright, but in an argument with their sensei, who had tried to come and help him.

"You were reckless, insubordinate, and incredibly SHORT-sighted!" Kakashi shouted point-blank in Naruto's face as he had grabbed the blondes jacket, shaking him slightly.

"YOU were reckless, irresponsible, and BLINDLY in error in judgment over the situation!" Naruto shouted back, giving Kakashi a few shakes in return.

"Hey guys!" Sakura called out as her aggravation won out.

"WHAT!?" Naruto and Kakashi both turned their heads to glare at the kunoichi, who 'eeped' at the sudden hostile attention.

"I, uh..." Sakura stammered, thrown of by the interruption.

Kakashi and Naruto both blinked at the trio for a moment before realizing that they were standing there.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Naruto blurted in alarm.

"I told you to stay put!" Kakashi gasped in equal alarm.

"Doesn't anyone know how to stay out of danger around here!?" Kakashi and Naruto shouted in unison, then glared at each-other.

"You left them alone!?" Naruto demanded. "What if there had been a third enemy!? They would have been in big trouble!"

"I wouldn't have had to if you hadn't disobeyed orders and caused this whole confusing mess!" Kakashi countered, then turned his glare to the other two genin. "And you two are also in trouble-"

"We didn't disobey your order." Sasuke interrupted, still looking around at the surroundings. "You ordered us to stay with Tazuna-san, not that we were to stay in any particular spot." He commented as if it wasn't even important, but his attention on the circumstances that had transpired in his absence was. '_There's no way, NO WAY, that Naruto could have done this himself. Not even the most powerful Uchiha fire jutsu could do this kind of damage..._' He tried to avoid grinding his teeth.

"Sorry Sensei." Sakura immediately added, looking quite ashamed of herself, despite the confused and slightly annoyed glances she kept throwing at Naruto. '_How is he still alive? I mean, it's good that he's alive, but... What happened here?_' She had a feeling she wasn't going to like the answer, if she even got one.

"Kakashi-san!" Tazuna gasped, still catching his breath, "We need to talk." He glared at the increasingly frustrated jounin.

"Fine, fine..." Kakashi took several breaths to calm himself. "But not here. Let's get to your house, and we can talk there. We'll stick _together _until we get there." He snapped. "So let's go." He took a few steps before stopping and turning. "Oh, and Naruto..."

Naruto, who had been about to follow, paused.

"Yeah?" He asked suspiciously, eyeing the copy-nin.

"That fire jutsu of yours?" Kakashi waved to the lake, "As of now, you're forbidden from using it again until we get back to Konoha and talk to Hokage-sama about it."

Everyone jumped a good three feet in the air when Naruto's chakra flared up so hard that it momentarily manifested visibly around him as bright blue flames. It only lasted for one second, then vanished. Naruto stood rigidly, his left eye twitching furiously, despite his unreadable stony face.

"**When we get back to Konoha,**" Kyaena started in a sweet and cheerful tone, "**You will take my disguise form, pull him aside,**" Kyaena's voice turned to a nearly genderless roar of rage, "**-AND BEAT THE BLOODY PISS OUT OF HIM!**"

Naruto twitched a few times, trying to find his voice.

"How... How can you... forbid something... that... isn't even _complete _yet?" His voice was strained, nearly hissed through his clenched teeth.

Sakura and Sasuke both gaped at that tidbit of information, looking around at the scorched surroundings again. Tazuna didn't really seem to understand, beyond the tension in the air.

"It's precisely because of the fact it's incomplete that I'm doing this." The frown of concern and worry was obvious in Kakashi's voice. "I don't know how you were able to develop it, but it's too dangerous even as it is, since your control over it is obviously limited. I shudder to imagine what you intend it to be when it's finished. We'll discuss it later. Now let's go." Kakashi stated as he led them off again, directed by Tazuna to head to his house.

Kakashi didn't allow any more conversation as they hurried on, and he stayed between Naruto and the others due to the blonde's viciously sour mood. Tazuna said he wanted to wait and speak to Kakashi in private at his house.

Sakura was worried, nervous, scared, angry, relieved and happy all at once. The mission was getting more and more dangerous, and she honestly didn't know what to do. She was beginning to wonder if she would even be able to do anything if circumstances demanded it. She was wishing that Kakashi had decided to go back to Konoha before, but she didn't know if Kakashi would listen to her now. She had the feeling that it was at the 'we're in too deep' point. She could only hope that Kakashi would explain what they were going to do when they got to Tazuna's house. Sakura was trying to piece together what she knew in an attempt to fill in the gaps, and it was beginning to paint a picture that was difficult to believe... that Naruto had beaten an enemy jounin without a scratch. Or had he? The left side of Naruto's jacket seemed a bit scuffed, or slightly frayed somehow...

Sasuke was not happy. He was angry. He wanted answers, and didn't want to be kept in the dark. He wanted to know what Naruto had done. He intended to get his answers. It was just a question of how.

Naruto and Kyaena were soooooo pissed. Naruto had been working so hard to improve his skills, and when his efforts finally paid off, Kakashi goes and treats it like he committed a crime. Naruto was beginning to wonder if Kakashi really was a loyal leaf-nin, though the fact that the jounin had a sharingan eye didn't help the blonde's opinion of the man any. But there was one thing that Naruto and Kyaena discussed, and were forced to agree with. The evidence of the events and lack of Zabuza's remains convinced them that Kakashi was right, that there had been another ninja assisting Zabuza. But what confused the two was the fact that they hadn't felt even the slightest bit of KI at all at the time

While it was true that Naruto was so used to feeling hostility from everyone around him all the time, and therefore had developed not only a hefty immunity to it but the unfortunate habit of ignoring KI that was less than a certain intensity, he had also developed a slight instinct of knowing the difference between the feeling of someone _wishing _him harm, and someone who _decides _to harm him. There was a micro-line when someone crossed from the contemplation, to the commitment of action. Looking back, Kyaena theorized that was in fact the reason for the slight difficulty, not only with this event with Zabuza, but the previous attack with the two ninja from the puddle incident. Naruto hadn't sensed them, because they had not yet decided to act. Maybe they had been waiting for something. But that was past already, and Naruto was trying to figure out the next part of their mission. He didn't like that Kakashi had forbidden him from using his jutsu, but he wasn't very inclined to follow that order since Kakashi didn't seem to know what the hell he was doing. True, Naruto knew he had to be very careful with using it, like he did with a wide open lake to avoid as much collateral damage as possible. But he wasn't about to put himself or his comrades in danger. If he had to use it, he would. But for the time being, he and Kyaena decided to at least keep working on getting it to completion. It wouldn't be quite as wild then, hopefully it would be much more focused, or at least more directed. That was the plan, anyway.

Kakashi was having difficulty trying to figure out what to do. He didn't know how badly Zabuza had been wounded, he didn't know who the other ninja was or what they could do, he didn't know if there were more on this particular enemy team, he didn't know how Naruto could have possibly beaten a mist jounin...

And he didn't know how or why Naruto had abruptly switched attitudes again, reverting to his original state of anger, resentment and mistrust. It had been hard enough for the past few months just getting the boy to ease up and even pay attention during their team training sessions. Kakashi had thought that he was finally making progress with him, especially at the beginning of this mission, and now it had all be blown away. He was having trouble disputing Naruto's judgment on his own actions. In hindsight, he admitted to himself that he probably could have handled things slightly better. But he wanted to get to Tazuna's house first, and then he could take a few minutes to think things over.

They all quickly moved along, directed by the old bridge builder, until they came upon another village cluster, similar to the one they had seen when they had first crossed the water to land on shore some time ago, only this one was larger. Or at least wider. Naruto, or rather Kyaena, couldn't help but notice the unusually LARGE river running along the side of the village. And how the house Tazuna seemed to be heading for was not just next to the water, it was half on docks ON the water.

"Whoa, hey wait a minute!" Naruto shouted out in sudden concern as he sensed Kyaena tense up in fear. "Hey Troll-san, I thought you said you lived INLAND! That looks suspiciously like ocean water there!" He pointed urgently at the rolling waters.

"WHAT!?" Tazuna growled. "Why are you still calling me a troll, you little-!?"

"You're old, you're wrinkly, you smell of booze most of the time, you're foul mooded, and you work with bridges. I rest my case." Naruto snickered slightly, and even with her apprehension of the dark waters, Kyaena also giggled a little.

Sakura stifled a chuckled, Sasuke 'hn'ed, and Kakashi sweat-dropped.

"Ohh... If Tsunami had heard that reasoning..." Tazuna groaned as he shook his head, pinching his nose under his glasses.

"So spit it out! If this is where you live, why-?" Naruto started to say, only to be cut off by the grumpy old man.

"By 'inland', I meant, if you were to draw an outline around the outer edges of all the islands of Wave, and call that our 'national border', then I live 'inland' from our outer border. But as you can see," Tazuna pointed across the water even as the group was walking up the dock planks to his house, "This is the edge of this island, and you can see the next over there. But yes, this is ocean water more than it can be called a river. Why so concerned?" Tazuna raised a curious bushy eyebrow at the blonde.

"I made a promise to someone, and I needed to know so I wouldn't accidentally break that promise." Naruto huffed, but glanced down at the very loud squeaking and creaking that the planks were making under the group... or under him at least.

"**So it **_**is **_**ocean water...**" Kyaena whimpered tensely.

'_Hey, don't worry. I promised I wouldn't go swimming in the ocean, so I won't. Besides, between islands as close together as these, it's more likely to not be as deep as out in the open ocean._' Naruto tried to comfort her. '_We'll be fine._'

Kyaena murmured an acknowledgement as Tazuna opened the door and let the group into his house.

"Hey, take off your sandals you midget pack mule." Tazuna said to Naruto when he noticed the blonde wasn't following suit like the others. Naruto shot a frown at the lot of them.

"Do you really think that any more enemies that come along are going to wait for us to put our sandals back on before taking them down? I don't relish the thought of running around barefoot in unfamiliar land." Naruto grumped.

"I really don't think that is going to be a problem for at least a day or two. Just be polite for crying out loud." Kakashi scolded.

"Yeah, it's not that big a deal. Besides, are you telling me that the big tough Naruto, future hokage, isn't used to a little dirt between his toes?" Sakura mocked innocently, smirking a little.

"...I swear, you people make mountains out of ant-hills..." Naruto grumbled as he kicked his sandals off to land next to the others. Stepping inside, he looked around.

The house was in better shape on the inside than it looked on the outside. The outside was weathered, with the dried wood looking worse the wear from the salty sea air. Inside was neat and clean. The walls and floors were a bit plain but still respectable. Things were set wherever they were supposed to be, all in order. And the oppressive smell of alcohol that Naruto had been expecting was noticeably absent. Which meant that someone other than the grumpy old sea-salt of a bridge builder lived in the place.

"You can set your backpacks down here, and have a seat." Tazuna said, indicating the kitchen'ish area with a table and chairs.

The others took off their packs, Naruto quite reluctantly as he frowned again at the creaking floor under his feet.

"Hey, Troll-san, how long have you lived here? Everything seems a bit rickety." Naruto commented as he pulled out a chair at the table.

"What are you talking about?" Tazuna huffed in insult. "This house is study enough to endure any storm tha-"

_**CRAAASSHHH**_

Naruto had just casually hopped into the chair, which instantly broke without even slowing his decent, and he slammed into the floor so hard that the whole house rattled violently. A scream from upstairs drew the attention from the fuming blonde genin as rapid footsteps pattered across the ceiling, then echoed down the stairs, and a remarkably pretty black-haired woman in plain cloths rushed into the room.

"What in the world-?" She stopped when she saw the group. "Father!" She rushed over to embrace Tazuna in a very relieved hug.

The group had momentarily forgotten the blonde genin that was pulling himself off the floor, the back of his jacket covered in splinters that had thankfully not penetrated his back... much.

"**Aha-ha-ha-ha! Tha-That was so damn funny! Ha-ha-ha-ha!**" Kyaena guffawed as she rolled around on her back, all fear of the ocean so close to her temporarily forgotten.

'_No, it was NOT funny!_' Naruto grumbled as he stood up, shaking off his jacket and swatting the leftover wood chips off himself. "SEE!? Rickety! Probably older than you!" Naruto shot at the old man.

Everyone turned to look back at the boy, and the woman gasped.

"What did you do!? That was a brand new chair!" She scolded harshly as she quickly pulled a broom from a small nook along the wall.

"What!? That's impossible!" Naruto shot back, trying to reclaim a little dignity by helping clean up the pieces.

"But, wait a minute." Sakura blinked in confusion as she looked back and forth between Naruto and the backpack he had already set down a minute before. "Naruto, how did that happen? You already took off your backpack, so, why-?"

"I have no idea!" Naruto shrugged in irritation.

"I think I do." Kakashi said with sudden amusement in his voice. "Naruto, just don't go stomping or flopping around. This building isn't like the ones in Konoha. It wasn't designed to hold your **weight**." Kakashi stressed the word slightly.

Naruto tilted his head slightly in confusion. Kakashi, who was at the moment standing behind Sakura and Sasuke, quickly made a gesture, tapping his forearms and holding them like they were extra heavy.

"Ooohhhh..." Naruto's eyebrows raised in understanding. "Right. Gotcha." He looked around with newfound caution at the potential breakable environment.

Sakura, who had not noticed her sensei's actions, smirked slightly.

"So maybe now you'll reconsider only eating ramen all the time?" She tried to make it sound like she was scolding him, but there was too much amusement in her voice to hide.

"I don't _only _eat ramen all the time. It's just that you only _see _me eating ramen when you're around." Naruto jutted his chin defiantly.

"Ramen? That's not very good for you." The woman commented. "And even regardless, you expect me to believe you crushed the chair just by sitting in it? You're no where big enough to weigh-"

"Now now Tsunami," Tazuna quickly interjected as he saw Naruto's eye twitch, "I really don't see the point in antagonizing one of the ninja who saved my life twice on the way here."

"What!?" Tsunami gasped, nearly dropping the broom. "Oh no..." She looked at the group of leaf-nin. "Father, are you ok? I mean... Are these really-?"

"Yes, these are the ninja I hired from Konoha. And things seem to be going about as I expected." Tazuna sighed as he sat down at the table, indicating for the others to do the same. "I'll tell you about it, but first, I need a drink... of WATER, I mean." He added hastily at the glares of Naruto and Sakura.

So with everyone seated at the table, except Naruto who remained standing in slight embarrassment, Tazuna filled his daughter Tsunami in on what had happened so far on the mission. From the attack of two ninja on the first day, to the attack that happened earlier this morning. When he got to the part of Sasuke leading him back to the lake, he paused, leaving out a minor detail as he glanced meaningfully at Kakashi. He finished with their return trip to the house.

"Oh my. This is not good." Tsunami frowned in worry, nibbling her lip in thought.

"Not necessarily." Kakashi offered. "Zabuza is no pushover. With him out of commission, at least for the time being, I think we'll have a bit of a breather." He nodded slowly to himself.

"What!?" Sakura squeaked. "The time being!? You mean that Zabuza guy isn't dead!?" She paled slightly.

"Not quite. But he won't be in any condition to threaten anyone for a while, not with the wounds I saw him suffer." Kakashi waved off her concern, but noted Sasuke's narrowed gaze at Naruto.

"But doesn't that mean that Gato will just send more after us?" Tazuna asked in worry.

"I don't think he has access to any more high level ninja at the moment. Zabuza is a renegade ninja from Kiri. And the two before him admitted to being under his command. I think Gato hired that group, being unwilling to approach a hidden ninja village directly." Kakashi explained.

"Wait, when did those first two admit that? I don't recall that." Sasuke finally spoke up for the first time since getting to the house.

"Ah... I had one final 'chat' with them after the rest of you had moved on." Kakashi admitted carefully.

"...So THAT'S why you didn't seem so surprised when Zabuza showed up." Naruto scowled at the jounin as his hands clenched. "And you didn't think it important to tell us." Naruto's near hiss made Kakashi flinch slightly.

"**Don't worry Naru-kun, I'm keeping notes so we can tell Old-Man-Hokage all about it when we get back.**" Kyaena growled out as she was doing precisely that.

"I didn't want to panic anyone." Kakashi offered in his defense.

"You had advance warning, and yet you still... GAH!" Naruto growled out as he turned away from the group. "...I can't believe this... I can't believe _**you**_!"

"Now Naruto," Kakashi spoke, realizing that he wasn't helping his relationship with his students, "No mission, no plan is ever perfect. Besides, you disrupted what I had intended to happen anyway. But that's behind us now. There are things we need to discuss now so the mission can proceed."

"Like what?" Sakura asked.

"Since Naruto is so concerned over my actions or inactions to head off problems, I intend to go scout around to gather information about Gato and what he may be planning next, and in doing so also try to intercept any more enemies before they get to you and Tazuna-san." Kakashi explained.

"So what you're saying is that you're going to just take off and leave us." Naruto spat in disgust. '_Not that it matters, since I can take care of myself._'

"**Got that right.**" Kyaena nodded sharply in complete agreement.

"NO, Naruto." Kakashi responded with some harshness. "What I'm going to do is put myself out to be the front line target of anyone Gato tries to send after you now. I will be shaking down whatever thugs I can find, getting information, and causing chaos so that Gato's attention will be drawn away from you." Kakashi leaned back in his chair a bit in thought. "It will be you three that will stay with Tazuna and guard him around the clock. Your shadow clones should help greatly with that, Naruto. You can use them to keep watch over whatever area you're in, especially when you're out working at the bridge. I'm guessing you have at least one or two flares in that portable junk heap you call a backpack?"

"Several, of course." Naruto huffed in insult at the insinuation that he would forget such a simple basic tool.

"Good. So with your clones as look-out, the real you, Sakura and Sasuke, can stay by Tazuna more, taking whatever shifts you decide on." Kakashi nodded as Sakura and Sasuke nodded in understanding. "I'll come back and check in periodically to make sure things are going smoothly. While I'm away, Sakura will be in charge."

"W**H**A**A**A**A**A**A**T**!**?" The three genin, and one kitsune, all gaped in shock.

"You heard me." Kakashi declared with no hint of a joke at all. "And what's more, I have a little training exercise I want you three to be doing whenever you're not out with Tazuna at the bridge. Since this mission is getting more dangerous, I'm going to be upping your training more from now on." Kakashi couldn't help but notice that Sasuke perked up at the mention of increased training... as much as an emo could 'perk'.

"B-but sensei," Sakura gulped, "Is that really such a good idea? Wearing ourselves out while-"

"No no, don't worry." Kakashi interrupted calmly. "What I'm going to have you doing will not be overly hazardous to you, you should be able to recover quickly after each session, and it will help you greatly in the long run." He gave them a confident eye-smile.

"Well, before you make any final plans or rush off to do whatever, I need to talk to you about... things, Kakashi-san." Tazuna said as casually as he could.

"Like why Sakura will be in charge?" Sasuke strained to keep the anger and insult out of his voice, being only half successful.

Kakashi paused to stare at the dark-haired boy for a moment before responding.

"To be blunt, I believe she's the most likely to keep her head on straight." Kakashi shrugged, paying no mind to Sakura's slight embarrassment. "Anyway, Tazuna-san and I need to chat, why don't you three have a look around." The jounin turned a eye-smile to the lovely young woman. "I hope we won't be too much of an imposition, Tsunami-chan, was it?"

"Don't try to get cute with me buster." She leveled a stern glare at the ninja. "I expect this place to stay intact for as long you're here." She gave a momentarily wary glance at Naruto, but then paused, and her expression softened. "But, still, thank you for keeping my father safe. You have no idea how much it means to me." She gave a slight bow.

"Yeah, don't worry. Keeping Troll-san here safe will be easy." Naruto snickered at Tazuna's slightly panicked face.

"...Troll-san?" Tsunami raised a curious and very well-defined eyebrow at her father.

"Ah-ha! It's nothing!" Tazuna franticly waved it off. "Just a little joke, that's all! Just something we were passing the time with on the way here!" He glared at the blonde.

"Sure, a joke." Naruto grinned. "And maybe as long as you're around to _joke _with, maybe this mission to piss off Gato will be some fun after all!"

"**And getting to blow up some more stuff will be nice.**" Kyaena snickered with delighted thoughts of fire and victory.

"It's not going to be fun for **you**." A new voice behind everyone spoke up.

Everyone turned to see a very small boy, even younger than the genin, dressed in mini-overalls and a striped hat that almost looked too big for his head. An image of Konohamaru and his oversized scarf flashed through Naruto's mind.

"Inari!" Tazuna let out a delighted cry as he moved around the table, his arms open wide. "Where have you been off to!"

"Welcome home grandpa!" Inari cried as he kicked off his sandals and rushed into his grandfather's arms.

"Now Inari, don't forget your manners, greet our guests properly!" Tsunami scolded lightly. "These are ninja from Konoha who protected your grandfather on his trip back here, and are going to stay while he finishes building the bridge!" She smiled at that.

Inari paused in his hugging of his grandfather to look at the ninja who were looking at him. Then the boy turned to his mother.

"But mom, they're all gonna die." The boy's casual and simplistically self-confident comment was not well received.

"Say WHAT!?" Naruto stiffened up dangerously, and even Sasuke's unchanged expression seemed to become a bit darker.

"Now take it easy Naruto." Sakura cautioned warily.

"No one can beat Gato and his men." Inari grumbled, almost more to himself than directed to the others.

"News flash kid! We already have! Twice!" Naruto shouted, making Inari blink and look up. "How can you just walk in here, knowing nothing, and think you can tell us what we can or can't do!?" He took a breath. "We're here to make sure the bridge gets finished, and that's what we're going to do! You should be excited!" Naruto smiled a bit at the young boy. "When it is finished, your gramps here will be a hero! Bringing new trade to your country! Surely that's something you can be proud of!"

Inari stared at Naruto for a moment before giving an insulted huff.

"A hero? There's no such thing as heroes! You're just a stupid moron full of stupid ideas!" Inari declared with a trace of hurt in his voice.

"...What... did... you... say...?" Naruto's eyes narrowed, and his low voice made everyone tense.

"**Stop Naru-kun! He hasn't done anything wrong, and even though we're not in Konoha, that wretched cyclops could make serious trouble for us, remember!?**" Kyaena jumped up in sudden worry.

"Naruto, please! He's just a little kid! Go easy on him!" Sakura pleaded as Inari turned his back on the group, heading for the stairs.

"If you don't want to die, you should just go back to wherever you came from!" The small boy said over his shoulder.

"Inari, wait, where are you going?" Tazuna called out in concern.

"I'm going to go look at the ocean! I want to be alone!" Inari snapped as he walked off.

Naruto was still glaring after the boy when Tazuna gave a sigh.

"I apologize for him. Please forgive his behavior." The old man spoke softly.

Kakashi, Sakura and Sasuke all noticed the suddenly depressed looks on Tazuna and Tsunami.

"Don't worry, it's ok." Kakashi nodded. "So, Tazuna-san, I think we should have that talk now. You three, just don't wander far. After I'm done talking with him, I'll give you your training assignment before I head out." He waved to dismiss his team.

Tsunami walked over.

"Here, why don't I show you where you can put your things." She motioned for the genin to get their packs. "You can use this open room over here..."

As Sakura and Sasuke followed the woman, Naruto seemed to slip unnoticed as he disappeared up the stairs. Kakashi sighed to himself as he turned to Tazuna.

"So. What is it you didn't mention earlier that you wanted to talk to me about, but not in front of my team?" The copy-nin asked quietly.

"Actually, it's _about _your team. Or two of them, anyway..." Tazuna leaned in to tell the man.

* * *

Upstairs, Naruto was carefully sneaking down the hall, checking doors.

"**Naru-kun, I don't think you should bother that boy. Just leave him be.**" Kyaena tried to reason, not liking the feelings present in her host.

'_He said something insulting and dishonorable to both us, and himself. I'm going to make sure he knows it._' Naruto responded as he finally came to an almost closed door, out of which he could hear muffled sobs from Inari.

Naruto opened the door a hair more to see Inari on a table next to a window. He was hunched over, crying over what looked like a picture frame in his hands.

"No... No papa... No..." Inari choked out.

Naruto hesitated for a moment, then steeled himself, and entered the room, closing the door behind himself. The creak of the floor under his foot made Inari jump and whip around.

"Yo, kid." Naruto stood in front of the startled boy, his arms crossed.

"H-hey! Wh-what are you doing i-in here!?" Inari squeaked out in shock. "Get out!"

"Get out? Do you mean, get out of your room, or do you mean get out of this dangerous situation like you said a minute ago downstairs?" Naruto asked, not moving an inch.

"Both! Either! Whatever, just get out!" Inari cried, clutching his picture frame to his chest.

"**Naru-kun, this isn't like you.**" Kyaena said in a very worried voice as her tails twitched around. "**You-**"

"You say, that Gato can't be beaten. That staying here means we're going to die, right?" Naruto asked Inari, ignoring his furry companion for the moment.

"Yeah, that's right!" Inari snapped, starting to get angry again.

Naruto leaned forward with a harsh face, making Inari cringe back slightly.

"Then why are you still here?" Naruto asked in a cold voice.

Inari blinked in sudden confusion, while Kyaena tensed in sudden understanding.

"**Naru-kun, don't! If nothing else, out of respect for Konohamaru!**" Kyaena pleaded.

'_That's the very reason I __**am **__doing this. He needs to learn a lesson, just like Kono-kun did._' Naruto snapped back, before continuing at Inari. "If Gato is so dangerous, if staying here is a guaranteed death sentence, why haven't you and your family left yet?" He demanded, making Inari go wide-eyed.

"I... We..." The poor youngling stammered.

"Why stay? Why would your grandpa bother with the bridge? If just running away, if being _**cowards **_is so much easier, why risk your lives by staying?" Naruto pressed insistently.

"S-shut up! You don't know anything about it!" Inari tried to shout back, but his tears we returning again.

"I DO know. I know that this Gato worm isn't the only threat in the world." Naruto stated, straightening up again. "And your mother and grandfather know this also. THAT'S why he's trying to build the bridge. That's why he's _fighting _it. Running away solves _nothing_. Here, or elsewhere, there are always going to be dangers, threats, and people who are willing to hurt you to get what they want." Naruto paused, looking around the room. "You were born here, right? This is the only home you've ever known, right?" Naruto looked back at Inari who was shaking badly. "What's worth fighting for? Hmm? Think about that, kid. Our lives are only worth what _we decide _they're worth." Naruto picked up the stunned boy and dropped him on the bed that was to the side. "And even if you decide your life is worthless, it still won't stop Gato from trying to take it anyway. And trust me," Naruto's jaw clenched a bit, "You don't want to know what it feels like to have _nothing_... and then have **that **taken away from you."

With his final words, Naruto lunged out the open window, much to a certain kitsune's horror. The house gave a shudder at the sudden movement.

"**WHAT ARE YOU DOOOOIIIINNNGGG!?**" Kyaena shrieked, since Inari's window was pointed out the side of the house that faced the ocean river.

Naruto's leap propelled him beyond the edges of the building, as he came down, his feet slamming into the water as if it were solid ground, sending a huge splash out away all around him. He then quickly started running across the water, circling around to get back into the house.

'_Sorry about that._' Naruto commented casually as he climbed back up on the docks.

"**Sorry? SORRY!?**" Kyaena was hanging by her claws, upside down at the top of the cage with every hair on her body sticking straight out like needles. "**You give me the second worst scare I've had in fifty thousand years, and all you can say is SORRY!?**" She howled.

'_Uh... I'm... __**really **__sorry?_' Naruto offered sheepishly as he paused on the docks by the front door to the house, looking out at the ocean water. '_Hmm. I don't know. The ocean doesn't seem so bad, though I don't really like the salt smell in the air. It's a bit irritating._'

"**Don't get any ideas!**" Kyaena cried in desperation. Naruto sighed.

'_I haven't and won't break my promise. Take it easy. Have a little faith in me._' Naruto stood looking out at the water, waiting for the others to be done whatever it was they were doing as Kyaena slowly and nervously climbed down from the cage ceiling. There was nothing he could do on the flimsy docks... Well, almost nothing... Ideas...

* * *

Having set their packs and bedrolls in the room they were shown, Sakura and Sasuke, after accepting some simple cinnamon toast and orange juice from Tsunami, paused to collect their thoughts.

"All this seems like it's gotten really out of control, doesn't it, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked slowly.

"Hmm." Sasuke barely acknowledged her as he just seemed to stare off into space.

"Do you think Kakashi-sensei's plan is going to work?" Sakura shuffled her feet a bit. "If it does, it could mean that we can finish this mission without any more fighting!" She perked up at the thought.

"So you're a coward as well." Sasuke commented with no emotion.

"Wh-what?" Sakura blinked with a bit of fear.

"We're ninja. Fighting is part of the job. Either get used to it, or run back to Konoha and hide under your bed." Sasuke spoke uncaringly.

"B-but, not every ninja has to be a straight-out fighter." Sakura cringed at her crush's words. "And not every mission requires fighting, in fact, some missions require that fighting be avoided as much as possible." She offered. "But, even if we have to fight, at least Naruto's shadow clones can-"

"GRRRR!" Sasuke suddenly snarled and walked away from her, heading back to the kitchen.

Sakura flinched, but followed, noticing Naruto standing out on the docks through a window. She followed Sasuke into the kitchen where Kakashi and Tazuna were still seated.

"-can't really tell, but it's your responsibility." Tazuna was saying.

Kakashi looked up as Sasuke and Sakura came into the room. He sighed as he looked back at the old man.

"Yeah, I got it. I'll think of some way to deal with it." Kakashi nodded slowly.

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's been a far more exciting and exhausting day than I'm used to. I'm going to get some rest before we get back to work on the bridge tomorrow." Tazuna got up from the table, but before heading off, he quickly opened a low cabinet and reached into the far back to pull out a smallish bottle. Hugging it tightly, he peered out the window for a moment, then quickly rushed upstairs as quietly as he could.

"Eh. Strange man." Kakashi shrugged. Sakura rolled her eyes at the man's continuing drinking habits. "Well, let's collect Naruto, then I can explain your training-"

"What happened with him?" Sasuke interrupted sharply.

"Eh?" Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow.

"What happened with Naruto and Zabuza?" Sasuke clarified. "What did you see? What did you do?"

"Ah... Well..." Kakashi took a moment to consider. "I saw a dangerous situation... I saw a very lucky genin manage to escape that situation without being harmed... And what I did was try to make him understand that it's never a good thing to think you can try to take on the world by yourself." The jounin replied, trying to sound wise.

"What about all the damage to the area? What was that fire jutsu you forbade him from using again?" Sasuke demanded a little more harshly. "Have you been giving him special training behind our backs?" His eyes narrowed with slight accusation.

"No, Sasuke, I haven't been training Naruto behind your backs." Kakashi said carefully, knowing what he was about to say next wouldn't be much better received than if he had said yes. "I've taught him the same things I've taught you. However, I'm not aware of what Naruto does on his own time. And remember, he has Kyaena-chan, who had obviously taken it upon herself to teach him anything and everything she can cram into his head." He sighed with wistfulness.

"Still hoping to shoot for the moon, Sensei?" Sakura smirked at the man's infatuation with Naruto's mysterious mother figure. '_No, not a mother._' She reminded herself with a bit of depression. '_Naruto never calls her that. Never. She's just the woman who raised him... and taught him... and seems to be the only person besides Iruka-sensei or the owners of Ichiraku's who ever give Naruto the time of day..._' She tried to steer her thoughts away from that unpleasant track.

"Ah, well..." Kakashi eye-smiled as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"So SHE taught him that fire jutsu?" Sasuke ignored the flirtatious interplay of the jounin as he continued his questioning.

"I honestly don't know. I don't think so. I was going to take him to speak with Hokage-sama about it when we finished this mission." Kakashi answered as he stood and stretched a bit.

"It isn't right that Naruto is learning such powerful jutsu. First the shadow clones, now this?" Sasuke glared.

"And... I hate to admit it," Sakura gulped lightly, "But I'm a bit envious of that super-strength of his."

"Naruto learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu under unusual circumstances, and it was Hokage-sama himself that decided it was alright for him to use it." Kakashi clarified. "Everything else, Naruto has apparently been doing on his own. Don't worry, I'm going to talk to him about it."

"You should teach... us, those jutsu." Sasuke cleared his throat a bit. "You're always saying that teamwork is so important. How can there be a team if only one of us is getting more training than the others?"

"You're not hearing me, Sasuke." Kakashi frowned under his mask. "I haven't taught Naruto anything that I haven't taught you. He's obviously been training on his own. With Kyaena-chan's help, of course."

"So get her assigned to the team, to teach us as well." Sasuke stated with growing impatience.

"Can't. She's not a ninja. She's a civilian." Kakashi shrugged with mock helplessness.

"What?" Sakura blinked in great surprise, and even Sasuke seemed a bit confused. "How can that be? How can she be helping Naruto with his ninja training if she isn't...?" Sakura trailed off in confusion.

"Well, it's not like I haven't wanted to ask her, but I haven't had the chance. And it's just a bit inappropriate to pry into Naruto's personal life." Kakashi shook his head, ignoring his own hypocrisy, since he'd been trying to get Naruto to re-introduce him to Kyaena for months.

"I wasn't aware the loser had a personal life." Sasuke snorted. "And besides, if this is relevant to our training, can't you force her to do it?"

"NO, Sasuke." Kakashi snapped at the outrageous suggestion. "I can't force a civilian-"

"But that's just it." Sasuke interrupted. "As a civilian, if she knows things about ninja training, if she's capable of teaching people powerful jutsu, what's to stop her from selling her services to other villages?" Sasuke smirked when Kakashi stiffened. "I don't think certain people would be very happy to find out about that kind of security risk."

"What!?" Sakura squeaked. She didn't like where the conversation was headed at all. Neither did Kakashi.

'_I so did not need this._' The jounin thought rapidly. '_If what I've heard from Hokage-sama and Iruka is any indication, if Naruto hears anyone suggesting that Kyaena-chan would do something like that, we'll have a MAJOR problem on our hands._' Kakashi leaned back carefully to peek out the window, making sure that Naruto was still out side, or at least out of ear-shot. '_But as much as I hate to admit it, if others find out what Kyaena-chan has managed to teach Naruto, there might be some who would call to have her questioned, at the very least._'

"S-sensei?" Sakura asked nervously, noting the jounin's hesitation.

"Look you two," Kakashi turned back to the pair, "This isn't a matter that you need to worry about. I'll be dealing with Naruto about certain matters in my own way in my own time. However..." He thought for a moment. "If perhaps... you want to ask him about what kind of training he does, maybe that could be something you all could share. You know, some quality team bonding time?" He eye-smiled. '_And having them keep an eye on each-other while I'm off hunting Gato would be a very good thing._' Kakashi thought to himself.

"You really think Naruto would be willing to help us out with training?" Sakura asked with surprise and a trace of hope. "But he's always avoided talking about what he does on his own. He says that we should only worry about what you teach us for the team, and we each have the right to the privacy of our own personal time."

"...He did? Naruto said THAT?" Kakashi blinked in surprise. '_Mature, yes. Responsible, quite possibly. Team oriented? Not so much._' He inwardly grimaced. '_He inadvertently encouraged teamwork, by suggesting walls between it's members._'

"Well, it _was _a while ago..." Sakura muttered, embarrassed. "But, maybe he's changed his mind!"

"He'd better have." Sasuke's brow furrowed. "At the very least, he has to teach us the Shadow Clone Jutsu."

"Sasuke, I believe you're aware that it is a forbidden A-rank ninjutsu, right?" Kakashi asked. Sakura's eyes nearly popped out.

"WHAT!?" She shrieked in disbelief. "Th-that...! N-Naruto knows an A-rank jutsu!?" She gasped.

"A forbidden one. And it's forbidden for a reason. So you shouldn't get your hopes up on learning it." Kakashi stated.

"Then WHY does Naruto know it!?" Sasuke demanded through grit teeth. "Why is he allowed to use it!?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't really go into the specifics." Kakashi shook his head. "In a nutshell, Hokage-sama realized Naruto could use it without it's detrimental risk, so he allowed Naruto to continue using it. Now, I think we've talked enough. Let's get Naruto, and I can show you the training you'll be doing." Kakashi said with finality as he walked past them, headed for the front door. '_Somehow, I doubt Sasuke would take kindly to the information that Naruto has ten times more chakra than the lot of us put together. I only hope they can keep focused._' He sighed to himself.

Sakura and Sasuke followed behind their sensei, neither knowing what was going to happen next. One curious, one frustrated. The put on their sandals and stepped outside, finding Naruto seated on top of one of the dock posts, preoccupied with writing in a scroll.

'_Now what is he up to?_' Sakura wondered. "Hey Na-"

"YEEEAHHHH!" Naruto jumped with a start, momentarily juggling his scroll and pen until he snatched them back, clutching them tightly to his chest. "Will you PLEASE not do that, Sakura-san!?" He gasped.

Kakashi and Sakura sweat-dropped, while Sasuke had an emotionless face.

'_And we're supposed to believe he trains all the time?_' All three thought simultaneously.

"Ah, ok Naruto. Grab your sandals. I'm going to show you three what I want you training on." Kakashi announced.

Naruto nodded, rolling up his scroll and putting the pen into it's open core before shutting it.

"Ok, just let me grab my sandals and backpack, and I'll be right out." Naruto said as he walked towards the door.

"No, you don't need your pack, Naruto." Kakashi waved off casually. "Not for what I have in mind."

"Doesn't mean I can't bring it." Naruto called from inside. A moment later he came out, fully geared. "Ok. Ready."

"Naruto, why would you want to bring all that along if you don't need to?" Sakura asked with a bit of an eye twitch.

"...I can't believe you actually had to ask me that." Naruto frowned.

"**I swear that pink hair of hers is some kind of weird brain-acid or something. She is such a DITZ!**" Kyaena snorted in disgust as she fidgeted nervously whenever a board under Naruto's foot creaked.

"What do you mean by that?" Sakura snapped. "I'm just talking about a little common sense!"

"So am I!" Naruto snapped back. "'Better to have and not need, than to need and be without'! What if we're attacked again? I am going to be ready at all times! I would think, as a responsible kunoichi, you'd have thought along those lines also!" He huffed, marching off the docks, to Kyaena's relief.

"Well SOOORRRRY! Not everyone is as totally PARANOID as you are!" Sakura shouted with a major tick on her forehead.

"That's enough already. Let's go." Kakashi ordered with a hint of frustration.

Kakashi let the three fuming genin just beyond the village, into the forest a small ways. Reaching a moderate opening between trees, he stopped, looking around, and nodded to himself.

"This is it?" Sasuke asked, unimpressed.

"It'll serve well enough." Kakashi said, turning to regard his team. "Alright. Now, I want you all to remember, it is NOT normal for genin to be allowed to participate in A-rank missions. But as long as you're being exposed to this kind of danger, it's necessary for all of you to maximize the efficiency of your skills. One of the best ways to do that, is to have complete mastery of your chakra." Kakashi stated, trying to sound teacher-ish.

"That's a complete contradiction to what you were yelling at me before." Naruto stated flatly. "I was trying to maximize _my _efficiency-"

"There's a difference between efficiency and recklessness, Naruto." Kakashi snapped. "Now be quiet. As I was saying, let's start by discussing the basics of chakra. Sakura, perhaps you'd like to take a shot at defining chakra?"

"Insulting us isn't going to help us progress any." Naruto glared with his arms crossed. "Do you really think we could even BE genin if we didn't know what chakra is?"

"Ok then Smarty-san, why don't _you _explain what chakra is." Kakashi glared back.

Naruto thought for a moment, with Kyaena growling out her disapproval.

"Nah, I'll pass." Naruto shrugged. "If I explained all of it, we'd be here for days. Let Sakura-san do it. I'm sure she can summarize it easily enough."

"Fine, fine. Sakura, please?" Kakashi sighed as he waved her on.

With a bit of hesitation and embarrassment, Sakura recapped, almost word for word, the bare minimum basics of chakra as she had learned from Iruka's class. The most simplified theory of the interplay of physical and spiritual energy, and the addition of shaping the chakra with handsigns.

'_I'm still astonished they let genin graduate with such a feeble understanding of chakra._' Naruto thought, barely listening to his red garbed teammate.

"**It's not your responsibility to change that... yet.**" Kyaena snuffed, trying to clean and straighten out her fur from her nervous scares earlier.

"Yes Sakura, that's very good!" Kakashi praised as the kunoichi finished her speech. "Iruka really did have some good students after all!"

"Gee..." Sakura blushed with a grin.

"Can we get on with it already?" Sasuke said, seemingly bored and annoyed. "We already know how to use ninja techniques."

"Wrong! You have not yet _mastered _your chakra!" Kakashi scolded lightly.

"Hmph! I've got ten jutsu and a training schedule that say otherwise." Naruto grumbled.

Sasuke's neck nearly cracked when his head whipped around to glare at the blonde next to him.

"What? _TEN _jutsu!?" Sakura gasped.

"You're lying." Sasuke stated in challenge. '_That's impossible! Even I only know four jutsu at the moment!_' He refused to accept it.

"No I'm not. And I'm not even counting the academy basics." Naruto lifted his chin, but showed no sign of pride in his statement.

'_WHAT!? NO!_' Sasuke inwardly seethed in shock. '_Three of my jutsu are the academy required ones! Which means I only know ONE compared to his ten!_'

"And what jutsu do you know, if you don't mind me asking?" Kakashi spoke up. '_Well, I was going to ask him about his fight anyway. At least this way, I don't have to have him explain the whole thing in front of the others._' He reasoned to himself.

"Two general jutsu, two wind jutsu, two lightning jutsu, three fire jutsu and an earth jutsu." Naruto listed off casually. Kakashi's eye widened so much it hurt.

'_That's impossible! No genin, no matter how much of a genius they are, could learn EIGHT elemental jutsu in only three months!_' The jounin feared his heart might stop. '_He's still unaware of the learning ability of shadow clones as far as I know, so... the only possible way... is if... he..._' For a split second, Kakashi suffered a minor hallucination in which he saw Naruto standing in an open grass field on a sunny day, a long white coat hanging over his usual orange jumpsuit as he twirled the Hokage hat on a finger with a sincere and confident smile on his face.

"No way! How could you have learned that many jutsu!?" Sakura gasped. "Especially when I distinctly remember you saying at the start of this mission, that you had cut down your training time!?"

"Correction, my training time has been cut down due to the schedule of working with the team." Naruto said with an unhappy look on his face. "And what do you do when you have lots you want to get done, but don't have enough time to do everything?" He paused to let Sakura think for a moment. "You _**prioritize**_! Since I've had eight years of physical training already, I decided that I could cut that down to nearly nothing for the time being, and focus on my chakra and jutsu studies!"

Everyone was silent as they absorbed that information.

Kakashi was having a hard time not gaping at his blonde student.

Sasuke was infuriated that it seemed that Naruto was having extra training by some woman that he knew nothing about.

Sakura was glancing back and forth between her two teammates and her sensei, feeling confused and a little nervous.

"Well," Kakashi cleared his throat at last, getting the attention of the genin, "If you're really that far along, then I'm sure you'll be able to help out with this training. An exercise to help you learn to focus, balance, and maintain your chakra. Because that is a key ability for all ninja. Every jutsu and skill requires different amounts of different balances of chakra. Getting it wrong will cause the effectiveness of the jutsu to drop, or at worst, it would fail completely without any effect at all. Even if you can generate a lot of chakra, if you don't know how to balance that chakra properly, you just wind up wasting so much energy, which leaves you exhausted and unable to fight. Fortunately, there's a variety of ways to help you develop this skill."

Naruto blinked at the man, then looked up at the trees around the group. With a frown, he was about to question what he believed to be a ridiculous question, but was stopped by his personal confidant.

"**Wait a minute Naru-kun. If he really believes you can't do this simple task, then let him think that.**" Kyaena suggested thoughtfully.

'_What? Why?_' Naruto paused.

"**Because if he leaves you to 'practice' wall-walking, once he takes off, we can simply return to our own brainstorming.**" Kyaena smirked, as did Naruto, though he managed to cover it well.

"Well, Sensei? What's the training we're going to do? How do we do it?" Sakura asked, now eager to improve herself having heard about her teammates achievements. '_And maybe I can impress Sasuke-kun in the process! CHA!_' She thought gleefully.

Kakashi, who had noted Naruto's momentary flicker of thought, gave a cheerful eye-smile.

"How? Why, you climb trees of course!" Kakashi snickered.

Naruto sweat-dropped, while Sakura and Sasuke both looked thoroughly confused now.

"Whhhhaaat!?" Sakura screamed. "Climb trees!?"

"Yes, that's right. Only there's one special rule. No hands allowed." Kakashi wiggled his fingers at them. "Think I'm kidding? Well, just watch." Kakashi made a deliberate show of making a handsign, and a little dust kicked up around his feet. Then he walked over to a tree, put a foot on it, and started walking up the trunk.

Naruto suppressed a snort-laugh at the dumb-struck looks on his teammates faces.

"He's climbing..." Sasuke muttered in surprise.

"Straight up! And he's only using his feet!" Sakura gasped in disbelief. Naruto wanted to groan at their declarations.

'_How embarrassing..._' He thought to himself. '_Living in a ninja village, how can one NOT know this technique? It's the best way to get around!_' He looked up at his team leader with a dead-pan expression. Kyaena hummed in agreement.

"Well, I think you get the idea now." Kakashi called, hanging upside-down from a rather thick branch over twenty feet up. "You focus your chakra to the souls of your feet, and use it to connect to the tree. You will learn to draw and maintain chakra to a specific part of the body, and the souls of the feet is the most difficult spot to do this."

"Wait a minute!" Sakura called out. "That's an interesting trick, but how is it supposed to make us stronger?"

"Chakra control is the very base of all ninja abilities. The greater your control, the more effective your skills. If you can master this, you can master any jutsu! Well, in theory, anyway." Kakashi explained. "This exercise will also help you learn to monitor, maintain, and even increase your levels of chakra. This is also necessary for ninja, especially in battle, where it's even harder to think about such things. So you have to practice until you don't have to think about it. Practice until it's second-nature to you." He pulled a pair of kunai from his holster. "Well, I could talk all day, but that won't advance your skills." He leapt off the branch, spinning in mid air as he threw the kunai. One hit in front of Sakura, the other in front of Sasuke. Kakashi landed effortlessly, and stood to regard them. "You will use the kunai to mark your progress at the highest point you can climb, without using your hands. Then, try to get past that mark on the next attempt. Then the next, and the next. At first, you'll have to run at the tree so your momentum can take you as high as possible... until you get used to it. Got it?"

Sakura and Sasuke picked up the kunai, and Sasuke shot a confident smirk at Naruto who was just slowly pulling out a kunai of his own.

"Think you can keep up, loser?" Sasuke quipped.

"Actually, I need to talk to Naruto for a moment, so you two can start first." Kakashi ordered, point to the trees. "So get to it!"

Sasuke's face went blank at his sensei's order. He and his female teammate duplicated the handsign Kakashi had used, and tried focusing chakra to their feet. They took off running, each aiming for different trees. Sasuke started up his tree, making it up about ten steps before the bark cracked under his feet, making him slash the bark as he was pushed back off the tree. He landed in a hard crouch, then looked back up at his first attempt.

'_This is harder than Kakashi-sensei made it look. Now I understand what he was saying. The balance of chakra in your feet has to be just right. To much chakra, and you crush the bark, being pushed away. But if it's not enough, you probably won't stick at all, and slip right off._' Sasuke analyzed his feel for the exercise.

Naruto and Kakashi were watching. Kakashi thought that was about what would be expected from Sasuke's level. Naruto was internally laughing at the emo.

"Hey, this is pretty easy!" Sakura's voice called out, making the three males look up.

Sakura was almost thirty feet up, sitting easily on a branch with her kunai stuck in the trunk next to her. Naruto raised an eyebrow in notice, but Sasuke's face hardened.

"Well! It looks like the kunoichi of the group has great chakra control!" Kakashi praised. "And she's not even from a major ninja clan! Maybe there's nothing to a name after all, eh, Sasuke?" He chuckled.

"Are you ever going to stop lying, Kakashi?" Naruto muttered real quietly so the others couldn't hear. "Or are you adding 'false praise' to your repertoire?"

Kakashi stiffened.

"Well, what are you waiting for, Sasuke!? Keep going until you get it right! And Sakura, you keep going as well. Just because it's easy now, doesn't mean you're used to it yet!" Kakashi called, still trying to sound cheerful, although his fist was clenched a bit. "And you come with me, Naruto."

Naruto shrugged as he followed the jounin a bit away, leaving the others to continue.

'_Damn you Sensei! I wanted to impress Sasuke-kun, but now he's angry with me!_' Sakura thought in aggravation as she made to climb down, trying to ignore Sasuke's glares.

Kakashi and Naruto walked just a little away from the others until Kakashi was reasonably certain they were out of ear shot.

"What is your **problem**, Naruto!?" The jounin whirled on the boy, who had been expecting it.

"It's really quite simple. I don't trust you." The blonde replied in a near monotone.

"But I thought we had gotten over that!" Kakashi tried to convey his concern, hard to do with 3/4 of his face covered. "What about what you said after the first attack, that-"

"That was true, but even if I acknowledge your risks as a comrade, it doesn't mean I trust you. A fact that you are continuing to prove with the more actions and words you put out." Naruto growled.

"Will you please _explain_ why you don't trust me?" Kakashi asked, trying to calm himself down.

"You constantly lie and mislead us, and you have to ask?" Naruto shot back. "And don't give me that 'deception is part of a ninja's skills' crap! It's one thing to know and tell us you know but it's not safe for us to know, and quite another to completely ignore us and throw us around like worthless cannon fodder!" Naruto let a small grin out. "Maybe I'll have to write my own report about this mission when we get back."

"Is that what you were writing when you were sitting on the docks?" Kakashi asked, perfectly concealing his worry.

"No, I was jotting down jutsu ideas I got from my fight with Zazy-chan." Naruto replied as his eyes narrowed warily.

Kakashi was silent for a moment.

"So, you keep notes on all your jutsu?" He asked with a half curious, half conversational inflection.

"Duh." Naruto rolled his eyes.

"And that includes that firestorm jutsu of yours as well?" Kakashi shifted his feet a bit.

"Nice try. But I don't have it with me. It's back in Konoha." Naruto smirked.

"...Fine. But remember, your forbidden from using that jutsu again on this mission. We'll talk about it with Hokage-sama when we get back to Konoha." Kakashi relented, being unhappy with his compromise.

"Whatever. Can I get to my chakra control training now?" Naruto thumbed back over his shoulder to his teammates.

"And now I give _you _a 'nice try'." Kakashi shook his head. "I know that the chakra-enhanced strength you use takes extremely high control. What level are you at? I know you're way past tree-climbing." He stared expectantly at the boy in front of him.

"**Damn. So much for avoiding that.**" Kyaena grumbled.

"...I'm about half way through the flow-splitting exercise, which I obviously can't do here due to a lack of waterfalls." Naruto said after a moment.

Kakashi nearly choked on his mask. After several seconds to compose himself, he gave that information a little thought.

"Alright, then you can help oversee the other's training, and can use your shadow clones to keep an eye on Tazuna-san in the process." Kakashi stated. "If they get the tree-climbing exercise down, show them water-walking."

"Whoa, wait a minute. Let me get this straight." Naruto held up a hand. "Sakura-san will be in charge of the team, but you're putting me in charge of the training?" He asked incredulously.

"Yep!" Kakashi eye-smiled.

"And how do you think they'll take that?" Naruto asked, but obviously referring to Sasuke more than Sakura.

"You know, Naruto, maybe if you would try being a little more helpful to your teammates, you could get along a little better." Kakashi offered as he started walking back to the others with Naruto in tow. But then he paused. "By the way, Naruto. You listed some jutsu you know, but named each of the elements except water. And you said you were taking notes from your fight with Zabuza, who I know is a water element fighter. You mean to say that you haven't tried to learn water jutsu, or just haven't gotten to it yet?" Kakashi asked with genuine interest.

Naruto's eyes widened.

(NARUTO'S FLASHBACK)

It's true that the academy can be a noisy place with so many students doing so many different lessons. But rarely are there frantic screams of panic and pain.

"AAAHHHH! AHHHH! HELP! HELP IRUKA-SENSEI!" Naruto was running around in circles in a training yard.

"CALM DOWN NARUTO! JUST STOP YOUR CHAKRA! RELAX!" Iruka called, trying to catch the boy, and trying not to laugh.

Naruto just yelled bloody murder as super-heated steam continued to shoot out his ass.

(END NARUTO'S FLASHBACK)

"...I'd... rather not talk about it." Naruto stated with a blank face, and Kyaena shuddered with the horror of that memory. She HAD tried to warn him about using the water element with her inside him, but he just HAD to try anyway.

Kakashi blinked a few times at his student's unusually robotic response, and wondered if there was a story behind it. It was something else he would want to ask Iruka when he got back to the village.

'_And I need to make a list of all this. Crap._' Kakashi thought as he tried to keep all his 'errands' he needed to do back in the village straight in his head. "Alright... Err... I guess."

The pair walked back to the others. They saw that Sasuke had been working fervently, with already more than a dozen close-together slashes on his tree. Sakura was in the process of running up her tree again, looking a little winded.

'_I knew it... Her chakra levels have to be really small if she's tiring already._' Naruto sighed.

"**Did you really expect more from that pitiful excuse of a female?**" Kyaena growled as her ears twitched unhappily.

The pair walked up as Kakashi got the attention of the others.

"Alright you two, stop for a moment." He waited until all three genin were in front of him. "I just checked, and am pleased to say that Naruto is not only familiar with this exercise, but the one that would come after it as well. So he's going to be helping the two of you." Kakashi noted Sakura's only half-surprised look, but continued before Sasuke's glare turned troublesome. "But he'll only be helping direct the training. As I said before, while I'm gone, Sakura will be in command. And in fact, I need to give you a few instructions, Sakura. You two, just behave for a minute, ok?" Kakashi nearly pleaded as he led the confused kunoichi away.

While Kakashi was talking to the pink/red girl, Sasuke was trying to glare a hole through the blonde.

"I suppose that Kyaena taught you how to do this tree-climbing as well?" Sasuke commented.

"That's Kyaena-**dono **to you, peasant." Naruto scowled, not liking that this was the first time Sasuke had ever asked, or even spoken about his dearest confidant. "And yes, she taught me. She's taught me more than anyone else ever has." He paused. "Wait a minute, what do you mean, 'as well'?"

"Kakashi-sensei was telling us how that woman of yours has been giving you extra training when you're not with the team." Sasuke was trying to fight his anger how someone he had once thought so worthless was turning out to be much stronger than he thought. "I think she would have her time better spent on someone who actually **needs **to be taught, instead of some clueless nobody."

Kyaena growled viciously as her fur rippled threateningly, and Naruto straightened up as his muscles tensed.

"Sasuke, there are few things in the world that can get me REALLY angry. And people who would disrespect Kyaena-chan happen to be one of them. So be very careful when you speak about her if you ever want me to help you with ANYTHING. Got it?" Naruto hissed out menacingly.

"...Maybe I should just ask her directly when we get back to Konoha." Sasuke stated the sentence as if he were pondering an interesting idea, and that Naruto had no say in the matter.

"...You know something? I think that is something I would actually enjoy watching." Naruto smirked disdainfully at his teammate. "It'd be worth it just to see the look on your face when Kya-chan flips you off."

"**I'll let you know when I want to mutala-I mean, humiliate the arrogant peon.**" Kyaena growled slow and maliciously.

Sasuke's glare at Naruto returned. The Uchiha didn't like it when anyone would stand in his way in his quest for power.

"And it will be even more worth it when I convince her who it is that TRULY needs to learn the powerful techniques she knows, and see your face when she leaves you to drown in your disgusting ramen all alone." Sasuke turned away, declaring that the conversation was over.

Naruto had been through a lot, but few times had he had so much anger towards anyone who wasn't a tail-hunter. The only thing standing between the Uchiha and a seriously bloodied face was the strip of metal across his forehead that was etched with the symbol of the leaf.

Fortunately, Kakashi and Sakura took that moment to come back over. Kakashi looked between the two boys, giving a sigh of disappointment. Sakura was looking very uncomfortable, and even perhaps a bit guilty.

"Alright, I believe that everyone knows what to do." Kakashi stated. "Naruto, you can go ahead and send a clone to Tazuna-san's house to keep an eye out, but remember the weight. Now, I expect to find you three still intact when I check up on you. But this mission is not worth your lives. If something truly serious comes up, you three are authorized to withdraw, and I would meet up with you again in Konoha. So, good luck!" Kakashi waved as he took off in a blur of speed.

The three genin stood silent for several moments, just looking at each other. Sakura broke the silence first.

"Well, ah, ok. So, Naruto, go ahead and make that clone..." She spoke hesitantly, not really sure of being in charge.

"Yeah yeah, fine. Shadow Clone Jutsu." Naruto just whipped his hands across themselves once, causing a poof of smoke that revealed an exact double of the stressed Uzumaki.

"Have fun." The clone chuckled as he happily trotted off to his sentry duties.

"**Lucky little...**" Kyaena sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Idiot." The original Naruto grumbled. He looked at his fellow genin. "Well!? What are you two waiting for!? Those trees won't climb themselves!"

"Shut it. Sakura is in charge, not you." Sasuke snapped.

"But Kakashi-sensei said that Naruto was to direct our training. We need to listen to him, as he has much more experience at this than we do." Sakura corrected cautiously.

"Basically, you, Sasuke, need to keep it up until you can stay on the tree continuously without loosing your hold." Naruto stated with a bit of resentment at having to help the arrogant boy. "And you Sakura... The main reason your chakra control is so easy at this point is because your overall chakra is considerably less than either of us. Doing the exercise constantly, until you're almost completely exhausted, will help build up you chakra reserves when you rest afterward." Naruto directed at the blinking girl. "And you both have to do it until, like Kakashi said, you can do all of it without thinking, so you can do it even in the heat of battle. That will take the longest to achieve." He shrugged.

"Why would the amount of chakra I have make a difference in how easy my control is?" Sakura asked, curious, and a little peeved at having been told she had a handicap of any sort when she had thought she was at least a little gifted.

"Think of you chakra like a water reservoir." Naruto stated, facing Sakura seriously. "Or like different magnitudes of water flow. If you have a lot of chakra, there is a lot of pressure that is trying to push out at all times. So if you only want to let a little chakra out, you have to struggle to keep the rest from flooding out at the same time." Naruto's mouth twitched a little. "Or, if you have less chakra, it's easier to control a flow that isn't as intense. The upside is that it will always be a bit easier for you to control your chakra, but the downside is that it's unlikely that you'll ever be able to develop reserves of chakra equal to those who were naturally born with more chakra." Naruto shrugged. "Sorry. But there are always two sides to such things. You'll just have to work constantly to increase your chakra levels."

"Ok. I get it." Sakura nodded slowly, not noticing that Sasuke had been listening intently as well, even if he was pretending to be looking off into the woods.

So, very tentatively, Sasuke and Sakura got back to the training. For a couple of hours, Naruto sat, propped by his backpack, writing in his own scrolls as he watched the other two work. He couldn't do Sakura's work for her, and he wasn't very inclined to help Sasuke progress faster than he was. As long as the brooding Uchiha _was _making progress, however slow, Naruto saw no reason to say anything.

Finally, at one point when Sakura was sprawled out at the base of her tree taking a rest and Naruto was still immersed in his writing, Sasuke was also beginning to show real signs of fatigue.

Sasuke was looking up at his tree. It was the mid-afternoon at this point, and despite that he had made progress, it wasn't nearly enough in his opinion. He looked over at his teammates. Sakura had already proved she knew how to do this exercise, but Sasuke hadn't seen Naruto climb a tree even once. Glaring at the human shaped orange, Sasuke quietly walked over to the prone Sakura.

"Hey, Sakura. You've had plenty of time to get used to this. Tell me what I need to do to get it right." Sasuke ordered as he squatted down next to the panting kunoichi.

"Can't... Tired... Ask... Naruto..." Sakura barely managed to gasp out between breaths, feebly raising one hand a couple inches to point at the blonde. Then her hand dropped again, and in a few seconds, it seemed as if she had fallen asleep.

Sasuke stood, frowning down at the girl. He had been sure that she would do whatever he told her. That's just the way she'd always been for as long as she had started chasing after him. And now that he might have use of her, she has the nerve to fall asleep?

"Hey, Duck-Butt." Naruto called. Sasuke looked over to see that Naruto hadn't even taken his eyes off his writing. "Is something wrong, or have you just given up?" The blonde questioned indifferently. "If so, leave Sakura-san alone. _She _at least has been working hard."

Sasuke's face twitched as he headed over towards Naruto, never seeing Sakura's eye crack open a sliver to watch.

"I'm getting sick of your arrogance, loser." Sasuke hissed, stopping a few feet from the sitting blonde. "And I'm sick of your lies."

Naruto's pen stopped in mid-stroke.

"**This stone-headed grub is stomping on paper floors...**" Kyaena snarled, sharpening her claws against themselves.

"What lies?" Naruto asked, his voice dark and warning, but hadn't looked up yet.

"You keep acting like you know so much, like you're so far ahead of us, but you're just a loudmouth nobody who whines and complains to get attention." Sasuke hissed. "You were a total coward in you're first real fight, then tried to act all tough when that Zabuza showed up-"

"And I beat the crap out of him." Naruto interrupted as he resumed writing.

"Liar!" Sasuke snapped. "You couldn't have beaten a jounin! Kakashi-sensei must have saved your ass when you screwed up a jutsu that you tried to-"

"Look, I don't care what you think." Naruto had put away his scroll in a blur as he shot to his feet to stare down the Uchiha. "I don't care what you think, and I don't care what you believe. The truth is I did what I thought was best for the team, and the mission. Keeping you and Sakura and Tazuna safe."

"I don't need your help! I can take care of myself!" Sasuke hissed.

"Oh really?" Naruto raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "And how many jounin have you fought in your life? And no, fighting Kakashi in the bell test doesn't count." He stared at the flustered Uchiha.

"...If you can take down a jounin with those jutsu you CLAIM to have learned, I'm sure I could do even more with them. Show them to me." Sasuke demanded, trying to ignore the question.

"Show them...?" Naruto blinked. "Sasuke, if I beat a jounin with them, they would kill you." He stated with little enthusiasm.

Sasuke smirked.

"Until I see these 'jutsu' of yours, I won't believe you really have them, liar." Sasuke crossed his arms as he stared back with self-developed satisfaction. "And even if I haven't fought a jounin _yet_, I still took down two chunin at the same time, which is more than you could ever do." He turned around to head back to his tree.

"You just don't understand. You would never have had a chance against Zabuza. Not the way you are now." Naruto called to the Uchiha.

"Stop bothering me. I have _real _ninja work to do." Sasuke responded, not even looking back.

"**Since when have any **_**Uchiha **_**ever known about real work?**" Kyaena growled, sick of even looking at the emo. Was it really so much to ask for Arceus to put the Duck-Butt out of her misery?

Naruto glared at the back of his dark comrade for a few moments before snorting and turning to walk away.

"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked, noting Naruto's movement.

"To get some water. Is that ok with you, or do you have to come see it to believe it?" Naruto shot back, not stopping.

Sasuke just huffed as Naruto disappeared through the bushes. After a second, he noticed that Naruto had left his backpack behind. Sasuke glanced at the direction Naruto had gone, then to the backpack, then to the 'sleeping' Sakura, then the backpack again. Sasuke stared to silently move towards the pack...

Vicious crashes caught Sasuke's attention, and he was barely able to duck as Naruto came flying out of the underbrush over his head, slamming into a tree so hard that the wood cracked and splintered before crumpling to the ground, clearly unconscious.

"NARUTO!" Sakura was up in a flash, as she rushed over to her fallen teammate with Sasuke right behind. With great difficultly, they rolled him over to his side.

Naruto had a large gash from his shoulder halfway across his chest. His face was already bruising as blood trickled from his nose and cut lip.

The sound of ripping wood and leaves made the two genin look over to where Naruto had come from... and their hearts nearly froze in their chests.

A tall figure pushed out of the bushes. Wrapped in so many half-bloodied bandages that looked like a Mummy movie gone wrong, it still didn't hide the recognizable shirtless sleeves, or the menacing eyes, or the mist Hitai-ate around his head.

"You wretched brats!" Zabuza snarled. "I've finally found you!"

* * *

END OF CHAPTER

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Author's Notes:

This chapter is late because I had, to be blunt, a very UNhappy new year. My family member has terminal cancer, my car insurance got messed up, and I lost my job. So the next chapter is on hold until I find a new source of income. But, if people point out errors in this chapter, I will at least work to correct them. Also, I've tried to correct grammar and spelling in previous chapters.

I might have to change a scene or two. I tried to make Kakashi mad at Naruto, and Naruto mad at Kakashi, and have Sakura and Sasuke caught in the middle. But I'm not sure if I made Kakashi mad enough. Keep in mind though, he can't really do that much to Naruto at the moment. Most of the actual punishing/discipline and all that will have to wait till the mission is over.

I hope people don't get upset over the Inari thing. Keep in mind, even Kyaena is worried over Naruto's behavior in that matter. And I have my reasons.

So everyone, how was the Hellgate Firestorm Jutsu? Too much? Not enough? Keep in mind it's not complete yet. I would really like feedback on this. It'll be important for later on.

I believe I gave a fairly reasonable explanation as to how Naruto learned so many jutsu in only three months. And I hope you all enjoyed the slight 'difficulty' Naruto has with water jutsu. And no, you didn't miss the earth jutsu Naruto knows, I haven't revealed it yet. But it's just a simple D-rank jutsu, nothing major. Earth jutsu are also going to be difficult for Naruto, but not as much as water. Explanations on how Naruto has been learning these jutsu will be coming soon, but remember, Kyaena is learning these things as Naruto does, and she can use her experience to help him learn, other than the water thing, that is. (And no, no one is allowed to call Naruto the Master Ass Blaster. I SAID NO!)

I can't figure out how much weight Naruto is wearing. I don't feel like making it realistic, 'cause there's no fun in it, but I'm not sure how much would be allowed by Fandom Rules. But if you look at the hints I give, and you can suggest a range, I won't object. I think it will be nice to know, especially when I eventually get to Naruto's encounters with Lee and Gai.

Nobody had better start thinking that Kyaena is a coward. She's going to be jumpy as long as Naruto is near the ocean. You can't overcome a life-long phobia in just a few days. As long as she's on solid ground, she's able to focus more.

A small favor to ask everyone: Be sure to check my profile from time to time to see the Naruto story ideas I put there. If you want to write one, go ahead, just let me know. If you know of a story already out there that more or less matches an idea I have written down, please let me know. Thank you.

To the next batch of reviews:

**Sociopathic-Antichrist**: Sorry, Kakashi 'bonking' Sasuke and Sakura will only happen in other people's fics, not mine. I don't know who Zolf J. Kimberly is. If a well made metal sword would shatter instead of bend, it wouldn't last long in the Naruto world, or at least that's how I see it, with all the things Zabuza has been cutting through with that sword in his life. And the Kakashi in the water prison was Naruto's clone, as this chapter should have clarified. I didn't think Haku showed up early? Or maybe so, as this chapter detailed in the scene with the two of them. But what I have planned next should be interesting, I hope. (crosses fingers)

**uberjjk**: Kakashi didn't exactly get _involved _with Sasuke's life, but the jounin did keep watch over the Uchiha. No, Kakashi was never assigned to protect Naruto. That's what Tetsuko is for, remember?

**Keigai O Yain**: For Naruto's attitude towards Zabuza for being a traitor to his own village, Naruto's priority was to stall Zazy first, THEN kill him. And if you think about it, Naruto's more likely to react more strongly to a leaf traitor, since Konoha is _his _village. I think that, though he will always feel strongly about traitors, others, that is people from _other _villages, won't provoke as strong a reaction. It's just the way the human mind works. I think. (shrugs)

**InsaneScriptist**: Zabuza came, he saw, he got blow'ed up. Yep. Not enough explosives indeed. But it's not the bomb, it's the BANG that counts. Very nice.

**Phblood**: The Naruto/Kakashi trust thing is going to be hard to do, because Naruto doesn't want to talk about it. All through the Wave Arc, Kakashi is going to be struggling to understand. He might figure it out, or it might have to wait until he gets back to Konoha. I'm working on it. But the clues are there. Just keep re-reading and thinking. (winks)

**Juopunumies**: Trust me, Naruto isn't a doormat, nor will he ever be one. His attitude is not what you think. It's more complicated. I hope you keep reading.

**Silent Blade**: Zabuza is not 'weak' per se, but he might be a bit out of practice. He's a mercenary now, remember? If his potential clients don't have him doing much against other ninja, just other criminals or untrained people, I think he might have been loosing the 'edge'. Also, yes Naruto is strong in this story, but he also has more experience, and Kyaena's help in fights as well, both in power, healing, and strategizing. Zabuza also thought he was fighting Kakashi, and probably was thrown by not having the kind of fight he might have expected from the legendary Copy Ninja.

**Bucks-sw4**: I... don't know what to say. Sorry that my _**version **_of the Naruto universe isn't really to your liking. I try to give reasons for everything, but I can't cover every detail. I can only hope that you'll keep reading and that the story will grow on you. (cries)

**Jiran**: For the Konohamaru rivalry thing, just because it's lop-sided at the moment doesn't make it any less legitimate. And just because Sasuke would make a better opponent, doesn't mean that Naruto has any interest in dealing with him. Level doesn't mean anything. It's the mind that matters. And I don't think Sasuke ever sees anyone as a rival, only as an obstacle to pass by. Naruto and Konohamaru AGREE to be rivals. Naruto and Sasuke never made any kind of acknowledgement of each other beyond their wish to beat each other bloody. That's not rivalry. That's just festering violence. Naruto could have killed Sasuke at any time, but lets Sasuke keep thinking that he has a chance. Seems to me that Naruto is 'humoring' Sasuke.

**Kabutodude**: Glad you kept with it! I'm hoping that the story will improve over time, but I have to be careful, I try to notice and deal with details to keep it involving, but if I get too carried away with detail and little hints, I may wind up confusing myself. That's why reviews are useful! And you're one more reader to help with this! Thanks!

NOTICE TO ALL:

For the kunoichi identity poll, there won't be more hints until team 7 gets back to Konoha after the wave arc.

Thank you all for your time, attention, reviews... yatta-yatta and all that! But then again, I'm sure you all know my gratitude to your time already, but I'll keep saying it anyway!

* * *

This chapter edited:

5-21-2013


	11. SOTS,1,02,04

(AN: For disclaimer, see my profile.)

* * *

**SOTS-1-02-04**

**Soul of the Seal - Story 1 - Arc 2 - Chapter 4**

**Chapter 4 - "The Evil Eyes Of Experience"**

* * *

Sakura and Sasuke, kneeling over Naruto's unconscious body, were both thinking the same thing as they saw the injured Zabuza emerge from the underbrush.

'_Oh no! What happened!? How did he find us so fast!? I thought Naruto and Kakashi-sensei had beat him up enough to keep him away! Sensei just left! Maybe he's still close enough to signal him somehow!? He caught Naruto off guard! We need to wake him up! He should heal in a minute or so!_' Sakura's thought's rushed a mile a second as she was trying to inspect Naruto's wounds at the same time as keeping an eye on the enemy.

'_He's here... This is bad. Kakashi-sensei obviously didn't think that he would be able to be active again so soon. Or maybe he had faked his injuries in the previous fight. But those bloodied bandages obviously imply some injuries, and he doesn't seem to be entirely sure of his footing. Since Kakashi-sensei isn't around, he could be underestimating us, especially after knocking out Naruto so easily, thinking that I'm as weak as him. With his guard down so much... It will be easy for me to finish him off. A nice bonus to add to my mission record._' Sasuke smirked as he stood to face the mist-jounin.

Ok, so maybe they weren't thinking the _exact _same thing...

Zabuza slowly stalked towards the genin, glaring down with barely restrained KI, as he didn't want to risk Kakashi sensing him if the copy-nin was anywhere nearby.

'_Which means no jutsu... Which is just fine with me._' Zabuza grinned to himself. '_Beating them into submission will be more effective anyway._' He raised a kunai in his left hand, that still dripped with wet blood. Naruto's blood. "Alright you pathetic excuses for ninja," Zabuza growled, "First, you're going to tell me where the old man is, and then, you're going to tell me every single detail, no matter how slight, that you know about your sensei's abilities." He pointed the kunai at them.

"Well, I'm afraid that isn't possible, since our so-called sensei doesn't talk about himself all that much." Sasuke stated, pulling a pair of kunai. He turned back to look at Sakura. "Stay down, and keep him down too." He gestured to Naruto, then turned back to the enemy, but paused when Zabuza chuckled.

"Well, well, well... It seems you can tell me more about your sensei than you think... or claim." Zabuza twisted his head to crack his neck as he put his kunai away... somewhere.

"And what makes you think that?" Sasuke sneered as he took his taijutsu stance, his own kunai at the ready.

"That fan on the back of your shirt." Zabuza shook his head in pity. "I don't know if I should consider it bad luck to run into Kakashi Hatake on this job, but the _unbelievable _luck of him having the _famed _'Last Uchiha' as one of his genin... That just is a bit much to swallow. However... It does mean that you can tell me all about Kakashi's sharingan eye, what it can do... and how to counter it!" Even though the bottom of his face was as bandaged as the rest of him, his maniacal grin could practically be felt in the air as his semi-blood-shot eyes bore down on them.

"You're crazy if you think we're going to tell you anything!" Sakura screamed out, trying to sound more vicious than scared. And she was VERY scared. She looked at Naruto again, gaining hope when she saw his bruise and cut lip had already vanished, and the gash across his shoulder would be totally healed in just another few seconds. Her eyes then darted to Naruto's backpack, sitting some ways away. '_Flares... And maybe smelling salts... If Sasuke-kun can keep Zabuza busy even for a few moments..._' She thought as she looked back at her dark teammate.

"Somehow I doubt you'll be of any use, little girl." Zabuza snarled, then paused to cough uncomfortably before re-focusing. "So you can die quick, like the old man. But I owe the blonde something... _**slow**_, for destroying my sword! And after that, I can take my time interrogating the little heiress-boy here..." Zabuza grinned when Sasuke shot forward.

'_Now!_' Sakura dashed a fraction of a second after Sasuke, trying to keep away from the mist-nin even as she tried to go straight for Naruto's backpack by the shortest route possible.

The black-haired genin of an Uchiha slashed at the tall man's chest, but Zabuza barely had to lean back to avoid the attack as his foot kicked up to slam Sasuke in the stomach. As Sasuke tumbled to the ground and rolled, Zabuza noticed a streak of pink in the corner of his eye. He lunged out and grabbed a handful of Sakura's long trailing hair, yanking her around as she yelped in pain.

"Whoa there! Now what do you think you're doing!?" Zabuza growled as his fist hammered into the girl's back between her shoulder blades. Then she too received a kick to the stomach that nearly folded her in half, allowing Zabuza to rip her shuriken holster and ninkit off her and toss them aside. He shoved the girl over, and she hit the ground, curling up and groaning over her injury. "Now... What were you going for I wonder?" He looked around to spot the hefty backpack on the ground. "Something in that? Some kind of weapon, or-"

Zabuza ducked and rolled forward to dodge several shuriken. He jumped to his feet with an annoyed grunt, momentarily gripping his left side as he turned to see Sasuke pulling two more shuriken from his holster. Sasuke threw them, but this time Zabuza simply caught them between the fingers of one hand. Sasuke's eye twitched as he glanced at Sakura, who was slowly trying to crawl back over to Naruto. Taking a quick estimate of distance between himself, his teammates, and Zabuza, Sasuke quickly focused a spike of chakra as he performed his long-familiar handsigns.

"Fire Art-" Sasuke didn't even get to finish as Zabuza was instantly in front of him, the man's larger hand clamping over Sasuke's intertwined fingers at the same time as delivering an elbow to the temple, sweeping out his feet, and slamming the Uchiha face-down into the ground with a foot on his back.

"I may need you alive for information you little snot, but I ONLY need you _alive_. You can easily do without your arms or legs, so think twice before doing anything stupid." Zabuza growled down at the boy, ripping off Sasuke's ninkit and tossing it over with Sakura's.

With panicked glances at the assaulting ninja, Sakura had managed to get to Naruto's side, trying to shake him awake.

"Naruto! Naruto, please wake up! We're in trouble! Please wake up!" Sakura hissed urgently as she shook his shoulder. She screamed when Zabuza grabbed her ankle and dragged her backwards several feet.

"This is the reason I never took a genin team while I was in Kiri! You loud-mouthed brats are always causing trouble!" Zabuza snapped as he took out some wire and began binding Sakura's hands and feet. But he paused when Naruto groaned, and started to stir. "Oh-no-you-DON'T!" Zabuza walked up and viciously kicked Naruto across the head, knocking him against the broken tree and slumping back down... silent.

"NARUTO!" Sakura screamed out, struggling against her bonds as she looked back at her other teammate. "Sasuke-kun! Get to Naruto's backpack! Use a flare to signal Kakashi-sensMMPH!" The girl's exclamations were cut off when the increasingly angry mist-nin stuffed one of his sleeves into her mouth.

"If you don't shut up, I'll rip out your tongue and let you drown in your own blood!" Zabuza snarled as he tightened the wires on her. Then he looked over to Sasuke, who had managed to stagger to his feet again. Zabuza's scowl crinkled the bandages on his face. "Stay down for a moment, I need to make sure our 'talk' won't be interrupted!"

Zabuza threw a shuriken at Sasuke's feet, and the boy jerked to dodge it, only to stumble and collapse to the ground, still dizzy from the elbow to the head. Actually, his head was throbbing quite badly, but not in a way that he had ever felt before...

Zabuza pulled out some more wire as he hunched over Naruto's body, tying his hands and feet as well.

"You... You're not going... to get away with this..." Sasuke growled out, lurching to his feet again.

Zabuza, finished with Naruto, looked up with a false look of astonishment.

"Oh! Oh no! Whatever shall I do!? How shall I escape now that the little heiress-boy is assaulting me with bad clichés!?" Zabuza gasped sarcastically, then growled as he stood and started towards the remaining genin. "Time to squawk you little prick. Tell me what you know about Hatake's sharingan eye."

"You really expect me to give up my clan's secrets!? You're even dumber than Naruto looks!" Sasuke pulled out a kunai and rushed at the enemy.

Zabuza merely gave a small grunt of annoyance as he fended off the assault, simply swatting away Sasuke's hands and feet as the shorter male tried desperately to slash, punch and kick at the tall mummy-man. Sasuke twirled, jumped, tumbled and somersaulted left and right and all around Zabuza, attempting to land a hit, any hit. And never once did he try to get to the flares in Naruto's backpack, mainly due to the short fuse problem...

"You should be careful!" Zabuza chuckled as he deflected another swipe, "We wouldn't want the little heiress-boy over exerting himself!"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" Sasuke raged, slashing wide.

Zabuza just caught the boy's arms at the wrists and yanked them up, then promptly stomped on the boys toes. Zabuza grinned at the cries of pain. He grabbed the front of Sasuke's shirt and lifted him off the ground, marching over and slamming him up against the very tree he had been trying to climb sometime earlier.

"Alright already, I've had my fun, and my patience is done. I've already won and you have nowhere to run. Now-you-will-talk! Tell me what I need to know!" Zabuza snarled into the fear stricken face of the Uchiha.

Sasuke looked past the bandaged face of his attacker over to the bound and gagged and crying Sakura on the ground, who was looking on, shaking her head franticly. Sasuke's gaze drifted slightly to the prone, unconscious Naruto just a few feet from Sakura at the base of the half-smashed tree. Almost instantly, Sasuke's eyes snapped back to Zabuza's.

"I can not, and WILL NOT tell you anything!" Sasuke snapped in defiance. Zabuza regarded him for a moment.

"About the sharingan? Perhaps not." Zabuza conceded gruffly, then his hand holding the shirt lashed up around Sasuke's neck. "But you will lead me to the bridge builder, Tazuna." He certainly made it sound like an order, but immediately discovered the error in the chain of command.

"Go to hell!" Sasuke spat on the bandages encompassing Zabuza's face.

With a growl, Zabuza slugged Sasuke in the stomach, then another strike to his head made the lights go out.

* * *

Quite some ways from Tazuna's house, on the neighboring island, several men were running in a panic through the woods. There had been five, but they had been reduced to three. They had a few cuts and burns on them, and they each had a single sword as a means of defense, yet they evidently did not consider them anywhere near adequate enough for their current situation.

The men were running in the direction that they hoped was where some of their buddies were hanging out. And speaking of hanging, the man in the rear of the running trio was abruptly tripped, then was yanked up into the treetops by a wire, screaming all the while.

Not a hundred yards later, the second man still running just dropped dead... from the half-dozen shuriken stuck in his back, having severed his spine in three places. His body disappeared into the ground without a trace.

The last of the somewhat roughed-up men stumbled franticly, his eyes darting everywhere as he slashed his basic-forged katana left and right to try to ward off his unseen attacker.

"S-stay away! You can't do this!" The man screamed into the darkening woods. "You w-won't get away with this! Gato will have your head! H-he'll ruin your village for d-daring to interfere with us!" He slashed wildly at nothing.

Up in the trees above the man, Kakashi was looking down at the last of his first interrogation targets. The man, seemingly the leader of the group he had selected, was most likely to know the most. True, he might have been able to get a few additional details out of the others, but between the fact that it's easier and more effective to interrogate one rather than five, the fact that he was pressed for time during this precariously dangerous mission, and the fact that he didn't want to leave his team on their own any longer than necessary, he was opting for the more expedient courses of action. But unfortunately, his mind was still quite distracted from recent events, especially concerning Naruto.

'_Naruto, willing to kill, trying to kill..._' Kakashi thought as he dropped down on the terrified thug. '_Against Zabuza... Then that fire jutsu that was so powerful, yet strange. I couldn't see it. It made my sharingan burn._' He continued to wonder as he disarmed the man and cornered him against some tree roots. '_His insubordination, his reasoning, his resistance, his attitude..._' He idly began terrifying the man even more by sharpening a pair of kunai against each other. '_And what in the world was going through his head, thinking that he was __**expendable**__!?_' Kakashi's scowl, even through his mask, only further scared his prisoner, who was now pissing his pants. '_He somehow knows something about Itachi, though thankfully I don't think that Sasuke is aware of that..._' Kakashi suddenly was writing notes on a scroll as the thug rambled off anything and everything he knew. '_And their actions, both of them... Having Tazuna worry for his safety from the team on top of everything else will not help matters any, though Naruto hasn't directly threatened him, unlike Sasuke..._' Kakashi paused in his writing as he realized the thug was blubbering about some bad childhood experiences, forcing him to scribble out a paragraph. '_And now Sasuke seems interested in Kyaena-chan due to her efforts in training Naruto... One more thing to worry about when we get back to the village, though unfortunately Sasuke had a point about her being a potential security risk... Even though I don't think she would do what he thinks... maybe..._' Getting a bit too confused, Kakashi pocketed his scroll and dispatched the man, quickly using the same earth jutsu as before to seamlessly bury the body underground like the previous one, cloths and all.

After making sure that all traces of the thugs were gone, Kakashi rushed off to find the next information target, trying to have some faith in his team that he had only left earlier in the day. He decided he would gather as much information as he could for the time being, then check back with the team in two days.

He tried to ignore his bad feelings, and tried to focus on the task at hand.

* * *

Sasuke had a whopper of a headache as he started to blink awake. He managed to sit upright, despite his feet being tied together, as well as his hands behind his back. He finally managed to focus on the words being said around him.

"-just another foolish mistake that you-" Naruto was saying.

"Stop it Naruto!" Sakura hissed lightly. "I think we've been through enough for now!"

Sasuke looked and blinked to understand his situation.

Sakura was sitting directly to his left, tied as he was, and Naruto was to Sakura's left, tied as she was. Although they both looked frustrated, they didn't seem panicked as they should be against an enemy jounin...

Sasuke's eyes, aching as they were, snapped wide as he remembered the events leading up to his unconscious state. But when he turned his head to see who was in front of him, he had trouble understanding what he saw.

Kakashi stood in front of the three bound genin, arms crossed as his one eye glared down on them with great disappointment and anger.

"Hey! What-!? What the heck happened!?" Sasuke demanded, looking around for signs of Zabuza, but saw nothing that he didn't already remember happening before he blacked out.

"Oh, so the last member of the squad finally re-joins us!" Kakashi sighed, shaking his head.

"What's going on? What happened to Zabuza?" Sasuke repeated, looking back and forth between his sensei and his teammates.

"Nothing..." Naruto growled out, glaring at the infamous copy-ninja.

"What do you mean, 'nothing'?" Sasuke frowned, trying to pull his hands free of the wire around his wrists without any luck.

"Zabuza was never here, Sasuke-kun." Sakura clarified, also glaring at her sensei. "It was Kakashi-sensei the whole time. He was testing us." She growled a bit. "He released his Transformation Jutsu right after he had knocked you out."

"A TEST!?" Sasuke shouted in outrage, then gave a grunt of pain as his very sore body protested. "What the heck were you testing us for?" He shot at the silver-haired man.

"I think he would beat us up just for kicks..." Naruto mumbled.

"**You'll get your chance to kick his ass too, eventually. We just have to watch for the opportunity.**" Kyaena growled lightly with a big toothy grin.

"If you would all be QUIET, I'll explain, now that Sasuke is awake. I didn't really feel like repeating myself." Kakashi interrupted in annoyance.

"Lazy stupid Cyclops." Naruto shot back.

"I did this," Kakashi paused to make sure Naruto wouldn't interrupt him again, "To impress on all of you, just how serious this mission really is. I did it to make sure that you are aware just how dangerous things could get. And also to see what you would likely do if the real Zabuza shows up when I'm away." His gaze swept over the three younglings. "And before you bother having to ask, Sakura," The man said, noticing the pinkette starting to object, "Yes, I really did have to be that rough with all of you. You wouldn't expect a real enemy to go easy on you, would you?" He asked sharply.

"And yet, once again, you were completely careless!" Naruto shouted out heatedly. When everyone looked at him, all he could do was tilt his head, indicating the still slightly bloodied rip in his jacket across his shoulder/collarbone. "If you had hit either of them like this, they would have bled to death in under a minute!"

"**Yet another incident we **_**could **_**include in a report to the Old-Man.**" Kyaena clicked her tongue with a chuckle. "**It's just a suggestion...**"

"But I didn't, did I?" Kakashi glared hard at the glaring blonde. "I was-"

"Using another excuse to try to cripple us or-PUH!" Naruto gave a jerk when Sakura managed to elbow him in the side.

"I think that's enough, Naruto!" Sakura glared at him, then sighed, turning back to Kakashi. "Well then, go ahead and tell us how we rated in your test. And would you please untie us now?" She squirmed a bit, as the wire bindings were starting to pinch into her skin.

"**Another mark for-**" Kyaena started to say with a scraping sound.

'_Muzzle it._' Naruto huffed.

"I'll untie you in a minute." Kakashi sniffed lightly, enjoying watching the three grumble. "As for the test, your results are half-and-half. Naruto was caught off guard when he was preoccupied with his argument with Sasuke, leaving him unconscious and vulnerable during the fight. However, he packs prepared." The man flicked a finger at Naruto's backpack. "Sakura had the right idea about trying to get to the flares to signal me, with Sasuke trying to delay me while she did so. But after Sakura was incapacitated, Sasuke didn't try to get to the flares while I was tying up Sakura and Naruto. Sasuke, you should not have kept attacking. You should have either gone for the flares, or if you couldn't get to them, used your Fireball Jutsu to shoot up into the air, or heck, even set the treetops on fire (in moderation) to smoke-signal me. You should not have tried to keep fighting on your own." Kakashi glared at the black-haired boy, then sighed and relaxed a bit. "But, despite the danger and threats, as minimal as they were, Sakura, Sasuke, you did alright in refusing to surrender information. But this was about as light a beating as you could ever expect from common thugs. If you were actually captured by ninja, you could expect severe torture, both physical and psychological, regardless of whether or not you actually know anything of use to your captors. And even after that, you would be lucky if they let you live to ransom or such back to Konoha. Well, except you, Sasuke. You'd more than likely be dissected for information about the sharingan." Kakashi shrugged at that last comment, seemingly unconcerned. "Alright, lets get you three untied and head back for the night." Kakashi gestured at the sun, already laying half on the horizon.

Kakashi moved to untie Sasuke, only to jump slightly when Naruto gave a grunt, yanking his hands free as the wire snapped loose.

"HEY! Watch it Naruto! You nearly zinged me with that!" Sakura yelled, barely dodging the wires from whipping her arms.

"Well I'm not the one sitting so close to me, alright?" Naruto grumbled, reaching down and ripping the wire from his ankles.

"**I don't think that even made any sense.**" Kyaena blinked, tilting her head quizzically.

"Na-... Naruto?" Kakashi asked with a shocked expression, or at least as much of one as his covered face could convey. "How did you do that?" He was staring intently, momentarily ignoring Sasuke who was frowning at having his release delayed... as well as the 'dissection' comment a moment ago.

Naruto and Sakura both gave Kakashi confused looks.

"What are you talking about sensei? Naruto is able to enhance his strength, remember?" Sakura blinked in surprise, then turned to Naruto. "Oh, and I'd like to learn how to do that if you don't mind, Naruto." She said with a hopeful look on her face.

"Chakra control, Sakura-san. It's all about chakra control. But you'd better not use it to be hitting me, understand?" Naruto shot her a look as he reached to untie Sakura's hands.

"Oh, no, of course not. I wouldn't do that." Sakura cleared her throat nervously.

"**Suuuuure she wouldn't.**" Kyaena rolled her eyes.

Oblivious to the two, Kakashi was glaring with a narrow eye at Naruto.

"The sword..." Kakashi muttered under his breath.

"Hey! Are you going to untie me or what!?" Sasuke snapped at the distracted jounin.

"Quiet. Or I'll drag you back upside-down." Kakashi growled suddenly at the startled Uchiha as he started untying the wire.

Once all three genin were freed, Sakura and Sasuke picked up their ninkits and holsters while Naruto stood picking unhappily at the tear in his jacket. Kakashi just watched them, with his hands in his pockets.

"Come on, Naruto. Grab your pack and let's go." Sakura waved him on while still nursing her sore stomach..

"Dang it. I don't know if I'm going to have time to sew this up." Naruto grumbled.

"**Well, your shirt should only take a few minutes, but the jacket will need a bit more care to get it fixed right.**" Kyaena shrugged as Naruto was walking over to his pack, but Sasuke got there first.

"Jeeze, could you be any more of a wuss, you redic-OMPH!" Sasuke, who had tried to fling the backpack one-handed at Naruto, nearly dislocated his shoulder when the pack refused to budge from its spot on the ground.

"Man, you just keep embarrassing yourself left and right, regardless of what I do, don't you?" Naruto snickered nastily as he snatched the pack from Sasuke's grip and almost casually flipped the straps over his unmarred shoulder.

Sasuke glared in disbelief, and opened his mouth to retort, but Kakashi stopped him.

"Enough! Move your butts!" Kakashi snapped harshly, making Sakura flinch slightly, and Naruto and Sasuke just frowned at each-other.

The group started back to Tazuna's house, Sasuke out in front trying to ignore his intermittent dizziness, followed by Naruto and Sakura, the female of whom was carefully trying to pry a little more information out of the blonde about what kind of chakra control was needed to enhance one's strength. None of them took notice of Kakashi behind them, walking with his hands in his pockets, glaring at their backs, and occasionally shifting to favor his left side.

Sakura was grumbling about her aches and trying to ask Sasuke if he was ok from his injuries, but the Uchiha just kept repeating that he was fine in low and frustrated tones. Naruto and Kyaena kept snickering whenever Sasuke would wince in his walk due to his hurting feet, or rather, his toes.

They reached the village and walked towards Tazuna's house, with both Sakura and Sasuke putting a few feet between themselves and the dangerously squeaking boards under Naruto. Naruto just muttered something about at least wanting the height to go with it.

They walked in the door, setting aside their sandals, and in Naruto's case his backpack, only to find Tsunami scolding Tazuna who was just about to open a... bottle. Kakashi's gaze locked on the elder man.

"Ah! Wh-what are you guys doing back already!?" Tazuna yelped, trying to hide the bottle under his shirt.

"I tried to warn you!" Tsunami shook her head with NO pity involved. "You shouldn't be drinking during this time! You need to keep your head clear, and showing up at the construction site tomorrow with a hangover isn't going to help anybody!" She huffed with her hands on her amazing hips.

"You miserable old Troll!" Naruto snarled with a twitchy eye. "Do I have to go through every room in this house and get rid of every drop of booze to keep you in line!?" Naruto walked around the table to stand next to Tsunami, joining in on glaring at the aged architect who fumbled for some kind of defense for himself.

Despite her own annoyance at Tazuna's alcoholic tendencies, Sakura took the opportunity of the general distraction to slip close enough to Kakashi to whisper to him.

"Kakashi-sensei, I tried to do what you told me, but it hasn't worked very well so far." She said quietly. Slightly confused by his lack of response, she nudged him ever so slightly in the side with her elbow. "Hey, did you hear me? We got some training done, but-hey, where are you going?" She blinked when Kakashi just walked away from her.

Kakashi walked around the table opposite of Naruto and Tsunami, coming up to Tazuna who turned to the only other adult male in the room for a little support.

"Ah, Kakashi! A little help here? Surely you can explain to your students that old veterans like us are entitled to a little stress-relief now and again, right?" Tazuna, an old roughened man, made the 'puppy dog look' just seem WRONG in this situation, even though he tried to offer a glass to Kakashi to join him in drink.

The terms 'surprise' and 'shock' were the only coherent thoughts able to register in everyone's minds when Kakashi lashed out, wrapping one arm around Tazuna's neck and yanking him out of his chair while producing a kunai poised to stab through the man's heart.

"They say that death is the ultimate release of all mortal worries, so why don't we try that instead!" Kakashi snarled with an off-tone voice.

"AHH! Kakashi-sensei, what the heck are you doing!?" Sakura screamed out in confusion as Tsunami went deathly white and Sasuke snapped ridged.

"H-hey, take it easy! If this weak stuff isn't to your liking, I still have some sake in the-URK!" Tazuna gagged when Kakashi tightened his grip on his neck.

"Wh-why are you doing this?" Tsunami barely managed to whisper in terror.

"I'm just doing exactly what I was hired and paid to do!" Kakashi laughed before a burst of smoke surrounded him and Tazuna, to reveal...

"ZABUZA!" Sasuke snarled as he pulled out his kunai.

"Well now, little heiress-boy... It seems your team has lead me to the bridge builder, exactly like I told you to!" Zabuza sneered smugly... behind his bandages, of course.

"What!? You lead him here!?" Tsunami gasped in despair.

"No! We didn't- I mean we did- but we didn't... He tricked us!" Sakura shouted, pulling a kunai, but honestly didn't know what to do in the situation. Zabuza had Tazuna between himself and the group, and there wasn't any room in the room to maneuver around.

"Please! Don't kill my father!" Tsunami begged. "Why are you doing this!? Why does Gato want to ruin our lives for nothing! Just so he can make more money!?" She cried.

"Sorry lady, it's just business. That's the way the world runs. I don't really care what Gato's plans are, so long as they don't conflict with my own." Zabuza shrugged.

"Even if you kill him, you'll never get out of here alive." Sasuke declared, edging forward slightly.

"DON'T SAY SUCH THINGS!" Tsunami screamed. She turned her tearful eyes to the mist-nin. "Please don't kill him... If you promise not to... I'll... I'll go with you. I do wh-whatever you want." The poor woman trembled in fear at the thought of what might happen. But unfortunately, she wouldn't have to find out.

"Sorry lady, but I'm only getting paid for his head, not yours." Zabuza shook his head. "And since I've never like putting off tomorrow what I can do today..." Zabuza raised his kunai, to the screams of Tsunami and Sakura, and Sasuke franticly looking for some opening to strike... even when everything seemed to be in slow motion...

The kunai pierced into Tazuna's chest, making the man lurch with a gasp...

...Before disappearing in a poof of smoke.

Everyone stopped and blinked at the vanished man, even as Zabuza sighed, crossed his arms, and glared at Sakura and Sasuke as if annoyed, or disappointed.

"W-wait a minute, was that...?" Sakura turned to look at Naruto, who had merely been leaning up against the wall, looking on during the whole thing, and who now glared at Sakura and Sasuke with the same annoyed and disappointed look.

"Congratulations you two." Naruto declared bitterly. "You just got Tazuna killed, and caused the mission to fail."

"What!?" Sasuke gasped in rage as he looked back in time to see Zabuza poof in smoke to reveal another Naruto.

"Way to go, stupid." The Naruto humphed. "OK! COME ON OUT NOW!" He yelled out, making everyone wonder what the hell was going on.

The sound of a door opening and closing drew everyone's view as another Naruto came in from the other room... leading in a perfectly healthy, and grumpy, Tazuna.

"Father!" Tsunami cried out in relief as she ran over to hug her father.

The Naruto next to them tossed some kind of chain mesh at the first Naruto, then went up in smoke. The other Naruto who had been Zabuza, nodded, then also went up in smoke. Sakura was looking back and forth with shock and confusion, as was Sasuke, even though he was royally pissed as well.

"Hey, Naruto," Tazuna spoke up after calming down his distraught daughter, "Did you really have to scare Tsunami like that as well?"

"Sorry, but I needed it to be as believable as possible." Naruto shrugged. But his nonchalance made Sasuke snap.

"NARUTO! What the hell is going on!? What did you do!?" Sasuke shouted in outrage, pointing his kunai at the unconcerned blonde.

"The brat's double-whatever, uh, clone, said this was some kind of training lesson." Tazuna's comment caught the Uchiha's attention as the old man guided the stressed Tsunami to a chair.

"A LESSON!?" Sasuke turned back to Naruto, nearly ready to beat him to a pulp.

"Yes. For both of you." Naruto growled, making Sakura flinch.

"But why? Why did you... Hey!" Sakura's worried look turned to one of anger. "That means it was your clone that beat us up! How could you do that to us!? We're your teammates!" She pointed accusingly.

"TO REMIND YOU BOTH THAT THIS ISN'T A GAME!" Naruto's sudden vicious exclamation made everyone jump. "If you're angry that you got a little roughed up, how do you think you'd feel if the real Zabuza KILLED you!?"

Although Naruto's comment made Sakura pause and pale, Sasuke was not accepting the situation.

"How dare you!" Sasuke snapped at his teammate. "You think that I-"

"SHUT IT DUCK-BUTT!" Naruto shouted, making Sasuke jerk back slightly. "This was a lesson, AND a test! You were going on and on about how you think that you could really take on a jounin, but you couldn't even take on ONE of my shadow clones!" Naruto and Kyaena were pleased when Sasuke's mouth snapped shut. "A lesson, and a test. Both of you should have been able to tell that the clone masquerading as Zabuza and Kakashi was a fake, but you didn't, even with all the clues I deliberately threw your way!" Naruto glanced back and forth between his teammates, temporarily ignoring the curious looks coming from Tsunami and Tazuna. Unfortunately, as Naruto expected, Sakura was the only one who looked like she was really listening.

"Clues? What clues?" The pink haired girl asked, trying to relax a bit despite her irritation at the whole mess.

"**Remember to use small words for these two, Naru-kun. If you blow their tiny minds, you'll just have to repeat yourself.**" Kyaena sneered in amusement at the impending humiliation of the two that dared to consider themselves in the same league as Naruto.

"Well, for starters," Naruto attempted to keep any emotion out of his voice at his personal vixen's opinion, "It should have been obvious that there was no way that Zabuza, after the pounding he took in the fight at the lake, could have possible been up and about, let alone managed to come after us again in the same day! Especially if he didn't know if Kakashi would still be around!" He huffed at the absurdity of the notion.

"That did occur to me." Sakura admitted carefully, wincing when Naruto raised an eyebrow at her. "No, really. Kakashi-sensei had said Zabuza would be to injured to come after us for a while, so I was surprised when 'he' showed up." She shrugged.

"Ok..." Naruto nodded slowly, glancing at Sasuke who was still glaring at him, merely waiting for all the explanations to be provided. "The second clue was the fact that 'Zabuza' didn't just kill us all straight away. I seriously doubt that other villages are that much different than us when in comes to security. For Zabuza to expect us, genin, to know anything about Kakashi's secrets or abilities, those of a jounin, is just stupid. With Sakura-san and myself being plain unknown genin, Zabuza would most likely kill us all, dispose of Sakura-san's and mine's bodies, and taken Sasuke's body away with him for study." Naruto smirked slightly at the dark boy. "That IS one of the drawbacks of being a 'great Uchiha'. It means you've got a target painted on your back."

"Yeah, but who doesn't these days?" Tazuna sighed, making Naruto shrug.

"But that doesn't give you the right-" Sasuke tried to speak.

"I. Wasn't. Finished. Yet." Naruto glared at Sasuke, shutting him up despite his growing anger. "Now, as for when 'Zabuza' pretended to be 'Kakashi', you again missed the clues. First, he wasn't as lazy as he normally is. He was too attentive. Then there was the matter that he never once pulled out that perverted book of his. Then the fact that he showed surprise at my strength when I freed myself from the bindings, even though he should have been well aware of it. He even showed some anger when he mumbled about 'the sword', as 'Zabuza' would likely still be pissed at me for destroying it." Naruto was rambling off the issues one after another, making Sakura feel quite foolish, and making Sasuke angrier with each passing moment. Tazuna and Tsunami were actually listening with interest.

'_Why do I feel like I'm being scolded by Iruka-sensei? But... I can't get mad... Everything he's saying is true._' Sakura thought, swallowing down any retorts that threatened to come up.

'_How can he stand there and accuse us of such failings!? He doesn't have any more experience than us! He has no right to lecture us, especially when Kakashi-sensei put Sakura in charge! Not him!_' Sasuke could feel his blood rushing, making all his bruises and injuries throb with pain. '_And I REFUSE to believe that I lost so badly to only one of Naruto's CLONES!_' His teeth were grinding behind his tightly thinned mouth as Naruto continued.

"Then there's the matter of the fact that 'Zabuza' was injured, yet even when 'Kakashi' looked normal, he was still acting like he was in occasional pain. That is, if anyone had bothered to pay attention to him. And that's the final thing. 'Kakashi' didn't know how to get to this house. He let us walk out in front while he silently followed behind. So he-" Naruto paused when Kyaena cleared her throat.

"**Actually, Naru-kun, I don't think that last one applies. The inconsiderate ass always does that.**" The fox flicked an ear in annoyance.

"Oh, wait, scratch that last one." Naruto suddenly shook his head. "Kakashi always puts us in front, between himself and any danger." He grimaced.

"I don't think that he does that for that reason. He more likely does that to protect our backs." Sakura objected lightly, slightly curious as to Naruto's abrupt switch. He merely snorted at her perception of the evidence.

"Anyway, this whole thing overall was to show you, all of you," Naruto paused to make sure Tazuna and Tsunami were still listening, "That if one of us could think of a deception like this, so can the enemy. If Kakashi is really so determined to leave us behind for the wolves, I for one intend to be ready to shred their hides into jerky if they come after us. I can only hope that you'd agree with me." Naruto started checking over the chain mesh in his hands, seemingly finished with his lecture.

"Naruto, were you planning all this earlier while we were training?" Sakura asked due to a nagging feeling at the back of her mind.

"No, I came up with idea when Duck-Butt here was mouthing off at me because he wasn't as good at the tree-climbing as you." Naruto responded, making Sakura's and Sasuke's eyes widen. "When I said I was going to go get water, I walked out of site, and made two clones. One to pretend to be Zabuza, the other to come back here and tell my other clone and Tazuna what I was planning."

"I still wish you would have told Tsunami as well." Tazuna spoke up, causing the pretty mother to shake her head.

"No, it's okay, dad. Nobody really got hurt, and until the threat of Gato is over, everyone is going to be on edge." Tsunami said, having finally calmed down.

"W-wait a minute..." Sakura was gaping at Naruto. "Y-you mean, that you planned out this whole thing in barely even a minute's time!?"

Naruto raised his attention from his chainmail to give a disappointed look at the kunoichi.

"Sakura-san, ninja have to be able to think fast on their feet. The sooner and better you learn to do so, the easier you'll survive. Believe me." Naruto muttered the last bit almost under his breath. "Now if you'll excuse me," He turned to Tsunami and Tazuna, "Can you point me to the bath please? I got a bit scuffed during this mess." Naruto paused to bring a hand to his jaw. "Although, that stupid clone didn't have to hit _me _so hard..." He mumbled.

Sakura nearly choked at the effort of keeping down the laugh at the thought of Naruto literally beating up himself.

"**If it weren't for the fact that it was also you, I'd have suggested you rip it's tongue out.**" Kyaena chuckled.

Naruto blew her a mental raspberry as Tsunami nodded to the blonde genin as she stood up.

"Yes, I'm sure all of you want to wash up, but with only one bath you'll have to take turns so-OH MY GOODNESS, YOU'RE HURT!" Tsunami screamed in shock as she noticed the gash on Naruto's shoulder for the first time.

"Wha-, oh no, no! Don't worry!" Naruto waved her down after realizing to what she was referring. "I'm fine! It was just a scratch, and I'm fine now." Naruto's mouth twitched. "But if you don't mind my asking, do you have some sewing material handy? I have a little in my pack, but-"

"**Watch the Uchiha!**" Kyaena snapped with a roar, just as Sasuke came up and shoved Naruto back up against a wall.

"Don't you dare!" Sasuke shouted viciously, thinking he had Naruto pinned. "Don't you dare think that you can assault me with your stupid clones and then just treat it like-"

"Like what!?" Naruto snapped. "Like NINJA!? Sorry to burst your bubble duck-quacker, but this is real life! Outside of Konoha, you'd better quickly get used to being treated like dirt, because the enemy will never care about anything except how to either kill you, or use you for their own goals!" Naruto growled out.

Naruto's last statement, about being used, snapped the lone thread holding the Uchiha's anger back as the black haired boy drew back his fist to crush the blonde's head through the wall.

"NO ONE USES ME!" Sasuke raged as he tried to drive his fist forward, only to give a strangled gasp when in an unseen instant, Naruto had reversed their positions, the blonde holding the brunette against the wall, and off the floor as well as Naruto had lifted Sasuke like he was made of paper.

"What the hell is your _problem_, Uchiha!?" Naruto snarled out, making the others in the room give 'eeps' at his viciousness. "We don't get along, you sneer, insult or ignore me, accusing me of being the dobe-loser, yet each time I try to offer anything to you or the team, you get pissed off and refuse to accept it! Maybe if you actually _trained _instead of brooding left and right, you'd actually know how to handle these things! I mean, what in the name of Arceus do you DO on your own time!? Just walk around the village, fantasizing about how glorious your ninja career will be, without even putting in the effort to make it a reality!?" Naruto gave Sasuke a shake. "It's no damn wonder you're delusional about your abilities if you... won't even... listen..." Naruto trailed off, his eyes going wide in disbelief as he glared up at his teammate. "What the hell...?"

"**AAARRRRHHHH! NO! NO, NO, NO! DAMN IT ALL, WHY!?**" Kyaena howled in denial as she raged and thrashed at the sudden discovery.

"What the hell are you staring at, loser?" Sasuke demanded after a few moments of silence.

Naruto shut his mouth into a tight thin line as he set Sasuke back on his feet. He turned to Tsunami.

"The bath, please." Naruto prompted, obviously straining to keep his voice calm as he picked up his backpack out of reflex.

"Um, ok, its this way." Tsunami began to lead him around to the other side of the bottom floor. "I can start working on your jacket for you if you like." She indicated the rip/gash. Naruto blinked, giving the pretty woman a somewhat surprised look.

"Well, I wasn't going to ask you to do anything, since I scared you before. But if you're still offering, I need to do my jacket myself, as it requires the non-standard thread I have with me, but if you could do my shirt, I would appreciate it." Naruto was saying as the two walked out of the room.

Sasuke watched the blonde go, his clenched fists trembling at his sides.

"That arrogant little-" He hissed to himself, but stopped when Sakura stepped closer to him.

"Sasuke-kun, I know you're angry at Naruto for what happened and being rough with us, and I am too." Sakura said carefully, trying to diffuse the tension in the air. "But... Naruto did have a point. This was a very effective lesson, and-"

"You're _defending _him!?" Sasuke whirled on the girl. "You're defending him after he be-, injured us!?" Sasuke corrected mid-sentence, refusing to used the term being 'beaten'.

"So he's a bit rough and hard-skinned." Tazuna spoke up before Sakura could open her mouth. "But the guy certainly knows how to drive a point home. I would gladly take a scare or a bruise or two over being killed by the real enemy any day of the year."

Sasuke was about to retort, only this time it was Sakura that interrupted.

"Gah! Sasuke-kun, you're bleeding! Your eyes are bleeding!" She shrieked in shock.

"Wh-what!?" Sasuke immediately reached up with both hands, wiping quickly at his eyes, but his fingertips came away clean.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Tazuna jumped to his feet, leaning over the table slightly.

"It's behind your irises! You're bleeding internally! Oh Kami, we need to get you to a doctor, or call Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura was starting to panic, and it caused an unpleasant afterthought. '_Cha! No matter what point he was trying to prove, Naruto has seriously hurt Sasuke-kun! He's in BIG trouble!_' Her private mind raged.

"But, I don't feel any pain... At least, not in my... eyes..." Sasuke blinked as he looked at Sakura's worried face. He suddenly realized how clear everything was. He could see the minute color speckles in her own eyes, could count every hair out of place on her head that wasn't held by her Hitai-ate. Colors seemed so distinct. Something clicked. Ignoring Sakura's pleas, Sasuke rushed over to a small mirror next to the sink.

Sakura and Tazuna could not have been more confused when Sasuke started snickering, then out loud laughing.

"S-Sasuke-kun? Are you alright?" Sakura asked in hesitant confusion, though noting that he couldn't be hurt that bad if he was laughing.

"Alright? Alright!? I've never been better!" Sasuke crowed mirthfully as he continued to laugh and inspect his red eyes, that each had one black marking in them.

In the other part of the house, Tsunami was waiting outside the bathroom door for Naruto to hand out the last of his cloths. She glanced nervously at the pile of equipment and heavy weights on top of the orange clothing in the corner, that he had somehow shed beforehand. She hoped that the floor would hold up. She was caught off guard when she heard laughing coming from the kitchen.

"Oh, well, it seems your teammates aren't too mad at you about what you did, if they're already laughing about it." Tsunami commented pleasantly.

"Trust me," Naruto's voice came through the crack of the door, "That is NOT what he's laughing about." He grumbled.

"What? What do you mean? What is he laughing about then?" Tsunami blinked in confusion as Naruto's arm poked out from behind the door, holding a torn navy blue shirt.

"Um, well, nothing you need to worry about." Naruto muttered behind the door. "So, all that's needed on the shirt is to close the tear over the shoulder. I'll take care of everything else. Thanks." Naruto closed the door.

Tsunami turned to deal with the shirt, but when she held it up, she stopped cold in horrified disbelief at the size of the cut, and the blood that was _mostly _dried in the fabric.

Unaware of the kind woman's distress, Naruto had set his boxers aside as he turned on the shower, then stepped into the tub, drawing the curtain around to prevent water splashage. He let the water run over his head for a moment or two as the water finally got up to a tolerably warm temperature.

"**How... COULD YOU!?**" Kyaena shrieked at last, making Naruto flinch and scowl.

'_Hey, I didn't MEAN for that to happen, I didn't PLAN for that to happen, and I didn't WANT that to happen!_' He snapped harshly, beginning to scrub at his dirty skin.

"**Don't try to play innocent with me buster!**" Kyaena growled with her tails whipping around. "**You knew full well that danger and stress are the primary means of activating the sharingan! Things were already tense from that incident with Zabuza, then Hatake was getting on everyone's cases, and-**"

'_I was only trying to get those two to grow up! It doesn't matter how annoying or stupid they are, they're my teammates, and I am not going to just let them keep fumbling through dangerous missions without at least a little support!_' Naruto argued, soaping his hair.

"**Support!? At the rate things are going, you're not going to be supporting them, you'll be carrying those worthless meat-sacks the whole time! They never listen to a word you say!**" Kyaena snarled, having to stop herself from wrecking her homey prison cell and all her belongings. Imaginary or not, they were still hers, and it would be a hassle to regenerate them all with the same details and whatnot.

'_That's not entirely true! I think... well... Sakura has started to come around, sort of. She's been a bit more, ah, subdued, lately._' Naruto tried to sound convincing, but was only half successful.

"**Oh really? Then explain why that pinkette still yells at you, hits you, and always sides with the Uchiha, whom you've just helped achieve the one thing that makes all Uchiha so damn troublesome!**" Kyaena yelled, eyeballing the Sasuke doll sitting on the shelf next to her.

'_Helped him!? HELPED him!?_' Naruto seethed, barely keeping his chakra under control as the shower water hissed and steamed on his skin. '_You're going to blame ME for this, miss 'Oh-he's-so-weak-and-pathetic-there's-no-way-he'll -ever-posses-the-sharingan'!?_' Naruto's rage actually rattled the great seal cage slightly, making Kyaena cringe a bit.

"**But he, I mean, you, that, I...**" The vixen stuttered, trying to think of a comeback, only to howl in frustration. "**IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT! ALL UCHIHA DESERVE TO BE WIPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH!**" She gnashed her teeth a few times before flopping down in a grump with her ears laid back.

Naruto paused in his washing efforts at his soul partner's outburst.

'_Hey, Kya-chan, I know that neither of us wanted this, but there's no reason to get THAT worked up._' Naruto frowned. '_After all, it's not like he's any threat to us, even with the sharingan, right?_' He listened as she shuffled a bit.

"**Well, yeah... Obviously.**" She mumbled unhappily. "**But it's still going to be annoying. Now that he has those cursed eyes, his arrogance will increase tenfold.**" Her tails flicked slightly.

'_Then I'll just have to be ten times more efficient in showing him up, right?_' Naruto grinned at a few thoughts to make sure that Sasuke's ego would suddenly find multiple pegs missing from under its feet.

"**Yes... But only if you're careful not to reveal any of our IMPORTANT secrets.**" Kyaena, despite her foul mood, cracked a slight grin at Naruto's intentions.

'_Never intentionally, although..._' Naruto frowned as his memories of the last thirty-six hours replayed.

"**Yes, I know.**" Kyaena sighed. "**Your superior abilities have raised some questions and caught their attention. And that bastard Hatake is going to want to question 'me' when you lot return to the fourth level of hell.**" She turned to start looking though some information to address the potential problem.

'_Fourth? I thought you were still calling Konoha the fifth level of hell._' Naruto questioned curiously.

"**You learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu when you graduated to genin. That was the changing point.**" The vixen replied half-heartedly as she continued to think.

'_Ah. I see._' Naruto nodded in understanding. '_So as to when we return, why can't I just use the Transformation Jutsu to-_'

"**No, I don't think that would work this time.**" Kyaena twitched an ear. "**At least, not as well as I would consider it to be safe to try.**"

'_What are you thinking would be the problem?_' Naruto asked, starting to rinse off.

"**I'm thinking the problem would involve interconversational responses lapsed between the relay delay of our psychic link...**" She explained.

Outside the bathroom, back in the kitchen, four of the five other occupants of the house were each involved with their own devices.

Tazuna was sulking to himself at the table, crying into his glass of... fruit juice. It had been made fairly clear to him that he would either cut back on the drinking until the bridge was finished, or he would be sleeping on that bridge for a year. He was trying to ignore the female glances tossed his way from time to time.

Tsunami was also sitting at the table with her father, quietly working on fixing Naruto's damp shirt. Damp, in that the scared civilian woman had given it a very brief wash in the sink to get at least a little of the blood out of it. She was trying to understand why anyone would choose to put children through such dangers, and why any child would want to live a life of death. She felt ill when she imagined her son being brainwashed into wanting to live such a life.

Sasuke was leaning against the wall, smile-, err, smirking, into a hand mirror. He was turning his sharingan on and off, making sure he knew exactly how to focus his chakra to do so.

'_To think, what I saw as Naruto's greatest insult to me, turned out to be quite... rewarding._' He mused to himself. '_Not to say that he's off the hook, I'll still need to put him in his place. But maybe, this once, I'll make it a... lighter, humiliation. The question is, how to do it?_' He pondered, trying to think about what annoyed the blonde the most, or what kind of vulnerabilities he had.

Sakura was sitting at the table with the two 'older adults', feeling very uncomfortable. So much had happened in only one day's time, and she was having a hard time sorting through all of it. Scares and stress and problems. And almost all of it was because of Naruto. She was angry with him for that, especially for the 'lesson/test' he had pulled only a while ago. But she couldn't just dismiss what was going on. Naruto kept trying to impress on her and Sasuke how dangerous being a ninja is, and as much as she didn't want to face it, the trick he pulled to teach them, to teach HER, this lesson, had been VERY effective.

'_It was only a clone, and it still took us down like we were nothing._' Sakura thought somberly, massaging her sore abdomen. She was certain it would be bruised by the morning. '_His explanation and 'assessment' of our reactions sounded so... accurate. I felt like I was being scolded by Iruka-sensei again._' She looked at Sasuke, who had paused in his examination of his sharingan, and seemed to be contemplating something pleasant. '_I was going to beat up Naruto because I thought he had seriously hurt Sasuke-kun, and yet I was wrong. It turned out to be something very good, if Sasuke-kun's behavior is any indication, though I still don't know exactly what the 'Sharingan' is._' Sakura frowned ever so slightly, and her brow creased as she was forced to think about her skills, or lack thereof. '_Sasuke-kun and Naruto always take things seriously... mostly... But I..._'

_"I mean, what in the name of Arceus do you DO on your own time!? Just walk around the village, fantasizing about how glorious your ninja career will be, without even putting in the effort to make it a reality!?"_

Sakura's jaw tightened remembering Naruto's words. They were a little too accurate. She hardly did any training when not with the team, and barely any studying either. Although, she wondered who 'Arceus' was. Another teacher, maybe? She recalled him mentioning the name several times before.

Tsunami paused in her sewing, noticing Sakura's tense posture.

"Sakura-san, are you alright?" The woman asked in genuine concern.

It took a nudge from Sasuke to get the kunoichi's attention, who looked up with a slight blush of embarrassment.

"Oh, uh, yeah, I'm ok... Just tired." She stretched slightly with a groan at her sore muscles. "I want to be next in the bath. Shouldn't Naruto be done by now?" She glanced around, hoping no one would question what was on her mind. '_A real enemy, the real Zabuza, would have killed us without a second thought..._'

"He's only been in there a few minutes." Tsunami blinked in comment.

"Yeah, well, he's a boy. He doesn't need as much time as I do." Sakura got up to go and check on the blonde mystery that was her teammate.

"What, are you saying that girls are dirtier than boys?" Tazuna muttered to himself in amusement, only to be pounded into the table by the two females present.

"I'm going to go now." Sakura said as she walked away from the lumped old man, her eye still twitching.

"Why me?" Tazuna groaned as Tsunami shook her head in irritation, returning to her minor task.

Sakura followed the sound of running water until she was standing outside the bathroom door. She raised her hand to knock, only to pause when she noticed the pile of stuff in the corner. Naruto's backpack, weapon holsters, ninkits, his orange jacket and pants and several other things she couldn't immediately recognize. Curiosity taking hold for a moment, she turned and leaned down to get a better look. She went to pick up one of the odd wide and slightly bulky leather straps, only for it to slide right out of her fingers, shifting the pile as it thudded heavily to the floor and spilling a few shuriken and kunai from their pouches. Surprised, she tried to pick up the item again, only to find she couldn't. She grabbed it with both hands and strained with all her might, and only succeeded in sliding it a few inches. She noticed a shadow over her and looked up.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked, observing the panting girl, and gazing at the small mess.

"I was just curious about some of Naruto's equipment. I don't know exactly what they are, but these things weigh tons! I can't even lift this one!" Sakura straightened up as she pointed to the item of her attention.

"It's probably just some stupid thing that Naruto thinks will help him get stronger." Sasuke scoffed, leaning down to pick up the leather straps. "Who knows why he carries around this junk that-OMPH!" The dark hair boy grunted as the offending item refused to budge from the floor. Irritated, he clamped on with both hands and yanked hard, jerking the heavy bulky band up only an inch before it dropped again. Sasuke's fingers slipped off, and he toppled backwards onto the floor.

"Are you alright, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura immediately moved to help him. "You see what I mean? How can Naruto even walk around wearing that kind of weight?"

Sasuke swatted her offered hands away as he jumped to his feet.

"That miserable little-!" He growled, his sharingan activated with his rage. But then he stopped when he noticed a glow. A red glow.

"Hey, what's...?" Sakura blinked as she noticed it also. The source of the glow was a kunai on the floor, spilled from the rest. "That's... That's Naruto's red kunai..." She whispered as she stared in slight shock at the glowing object. In the back of her mind, she absently noticed how quiet it was all of a sudden.

Sasuke was staring at the kunai through his sharingan eyes, his mind momentarily blank. Then a word came to him...

Blood.

_"__I swear, on this kunai that is stained from the blood of my labors, that I will continue to protect you as is my duty as a ninja of Konoha!"_

Sasuke remembered Naruto's claim, and what the softly glowing red kunai was supposed to represent. A slow, devious grin began to grow on his face.

"Hey Sakura," He stated, unable to look away from the red glow, "How'd you like to give a little payback to Naruto for what he did to us today?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" Sakura asked nervously, slightly scared of the glowing weapon, and not liking the look on Sasuke's face.

"Oh, nothing much, just a little PRANK on Naruto. You know, to make HIM sweat a little." Sasuke said, his grin increasing. '_There's something about this kunai... Something I couldn't see before. But now that I have the sharingan..._' He thought. He stepped forward, and stopped suddenly when the kunai started glowing brighter. Sakura saw it and suddenly became much more frightened.

"S-Sasuke-kun, I... I don't think we should mess with Naruto's stuff anymore... I shouldn't have touched it in the first place. We should just leave everything for Naruto to pick up. Ok?" Sakura pleaded, but Sasuke wasn't listening to her.

'_This kunai... What is it? I can't tell..._' Sasuke thought, mesmerized as the kunai glowed brighter and brighter with every inch closer he came to it.

"Please, just leave it alone! We don't know what it is!" Sakura warned desperately as her teammate kneeled down.

'_I don't know exactly what this is __**yet**__... But whatever it is, it's POWER..._' Sasuke reached for the kunai that was now glowing so brightly that his sharingan ached to even look at it. '_And I think it's calling to me..._'

"No Sasuke-kun, don't!" Sakura moved to stop him, but was to late.

_**YYYYEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGHHH!**_

Sasuke's howl of pain echoed through the house as the crackling hiss and smell of burning flesh overwhelmed the genin. A vicious jolt disrupted Sasuke's chakra as he managed to drop the weapon clattering to the floor even as he collapsed to the ground, curling into a ball, holding desperately at the wrist of his damaged hand. In the commotion, no one noticed that the kunai had stopped glowing when Sasuke had dropped it and his sharingan had deactivated...

There were shouts and bangs, Tazuna and Tsunami running into the room even as the bathroom door opened, and a boxer-only clad Naruto jumped out.

"What's going on!? What happened!? Are we under attack!?" Naruto asked in a rush, looking everywhere, noting Sasuke on the floor and everyone else standing around.

Now, Sakura very likely would have explained everything in the hopes of expediting the treatment of Sasuke's injury, but that was impossible as her brain had shut down. You see, Sakura had never known Naruto to wear anything other than his orange jumpsuit. That is, she had never _seen _him wear anything other than his orange jumpsuit. And she certainly had never seen him wear _less _than his orange jumpsuit. So beyond the occasional thought that it was weird that he would wear cloths that seemed a size too big for him yet fit him fine at the same time, she had never even thought about what it would be like to see him without it.

So, for Naruto to suddenly be standing in front of her in nothing but his boxers, displaying muscles she didn't believe someone their age was capable of possessing, the leftover water from the bath quickly steaming off his flawless lightly tanned skin, and his unbound golden hair softened by it's recent dampness...

_**EEEP!-WHUD**_

Those present were shocked when Tsunami fainted, her face bright red and a slight trickle of blood dripping from her nose.

Tazuna could only sputter at his daughter's reaction, as Sakura forced herself to speak.

"N-Naruto! Sasuke-kun is badly hurt!" Sakura managed to get out, though she was trying to avoid looking at her blonde teammate. '_Oh no, PLEASE Kami no! This can't be happening! Naruto cannot possibly be THAT __**HOT**__!_' She thought in a panic as she shivered. '_CHA! ARE YOU KIDDING!? It's no wonder Hinata never liked Sasuke if her byakugan could see THAT under his cloths!_' The other voice barely had time to speak before being abruptly silenced.

Naruto was completely confused by events as he looked back and forth between the people in the room.

"What in the names of Arceus, Gaia and Shinigami is going on!?" Naruto demanded as he kneeled down to inspect Sasuke's injury, but jumped back when said dark boy took a rather feeble swing at him.

"You... you careless ass..." Sasuke managed to gasp out through the pain of his burnt hand, struggling to at least sit up. "What were you thinking... leaving trapped equipment... laying around?" He winced badly at the pain, not only in his hand, but his whole body felt like it had been clobbered. '_My chakra is totally messed up! What the hell did that kunai do to me!?_' He thought madly, even though the sensation was slowly fading.

"Trapped equipment?" Naruto repeated in total confusion. "What are you-" He paused when he noticed his gear had been spread out a bit on the floor. His eyes widened when he saw his red kunai separated from the rest, near Sasuke. When his cold accusing gaze hit his teammates, they both gulped. "What were you doing going through my stuff?"

"**THIEVES! THEY'RE FILTHY LITTLE THIEVES!**" Kyaena howled, making her own conclusion from the evidence.

"W-we... uh, just wanted to know..." Sakura stammered, trying to avoid sounding guilty, and failing miserably.

"We needed some additional weapons, and-" Sasuke started to say, only to stop when Naruto stomped one foot, making the whole building shake.

"BULLSHIT!" The blondes shout made Sakura flinch and Sasuke's mouth to shut. Tsunami was also woken by the jolt and shout. "You haven't even used your own beyond our scuffle earlier, so you wouldn't need any. And even if you did, the fact that you didn't just ask means you had other intentions!" Naruto quickly bent down and picked up his red kunai. "I don't know what you were doing when you were trying to STEAL-"

"No!" Sakura interrupted, desperate to head things off. "It was my fault! I was coming to see if you were done with your shower, I saw your equipment and was just curious! I tried to pick up one of those leather strap/bands, but it slipped, and everything slid over, and-"

"SAVE IT!" Naruto snapped as he turned away and began gathering up his things.

"**This is unacceptable! Get out of this place, and leave those two... buckets of slime, on their own!**" Kyaena snarled, infuriated at the thought of those that dared to steal one of Naruto's few precious personal possessions.

Tazuna was a bit concerned over the argument going on, but was less than sure how to handle things.

'_Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for Kakashi to leave these three alone after all._' The old bridge builder thought as he helped his daughter to sit up.

"Whaaa..." Tsunami was sitting up, shaking her head. "Whoa, that was... I thought I saw..." She blinked when she saw the near-naked Naruto repacking his equipment. "Oh my..." She moaned lightly as her face was turning red again.

Sakura and Tazuna eyed the young mother with no small amount of... concern. Sasuke was glaring at Naruto, who hand strapped one of the bulky leather bands to each of his legs over the shins and ankles, then pulled on his orange pants.

"You still haven't explained what happened, Naruto." The Uchiha demanded, feeling well enough to stand again, though he still held his badly burnt hand. "What the hell did you trap that kunai with?" Sasuke wondered, concerned. '_I couldn't tell what it was with my sharingan, and it wasn't anything simple. I need to know, so I won't fall for it in the future._'

Naruto, who had grabbed his fixed shirt from Tsunami's hands, paused to glare at the injured genin.

"I didn't trap anything, though it's obvious I should from now on." Naruto hissed, paused, then smirked. "Which means whatever happened, it was solely due to your own incompetence." He turned his back as he pulled on his shirt, then the chain mesh shirt on top of it.

"What!? How dare you-!" Sasuke's anger was interrupted by the throbbing pain in his hand.

"Sasuke-kun, we need to treat your hand!" Sakura spoke up, noticing his discomfort.

Tazuna and Tsunami now noticed the injury and immediately stepped forward.

"Damn, that's something nasty! And I've seen my share of injuries over the years!" Tazuna balked. "We definitely need to get that cleaned and wrapped, right away!"

"Yes, come on, we can help with that." Tsunami offered as she forced herself to look away from the young blonde, putting a hand on Sasuke's shoulder, who, though he pulled away from the touch, grunted an acknowledging nod.

"Wait," Sakura stopped them. She looked back at Naruto who had placed the remaining two leather bands onto his forearms, and was frowning as he held up his orange jacket for inspection of the tear. Sakura was a bit surprise when she could see on the inside of the jacket, numerous pockets and zippers. "N-Naruto? Surely you have some medical supplies in your backpack right?" She asked, then mentally slapped herself. '_Duh! Of course he won't have any, why would he need any with that healing power of his? We'll just have to do with the first aid kits in our own packs._'

Naruto glared at the waiting group, then opened up his pack, sifting through it for a moment.

"**Hey, wait a minute! Why are you going to help them!?**" Kyaena snapped in angered surprise.

'_To shut them up so they won't bother me anymore._' Naruto growled. "Here." He tossed a small white box (standard first aid kit) at a surprised and slightly relieved Sakura. "It's all I have. So deal with it." He snorted as he closed his pack and pulled it onto his shoulders, rolling up his orange jacket under an arm as he slipped his feet into his sandals.

"Hey, wha-, where are you going?" Sakura asked with growing fear as Naruto walked past everyone.

"You really think I'm going to give Duck-Butt the chance to do anything else? Like cut my throat in my sleep? I'm out of here. I'll be back in the morning." Naruto growled as he headed for the door.

"Wait! You can't just stay out in the woods all night! What if-" Tsunami tried to stop the angry youth, but he just waved her off.

"Don't worry, I do this all the time. I know what I'm doing. Unlike SOME PEOPLE." Naruto shot at his 'teammates'. "Besides, you don't want any of Gato's men sneaking in at night, right? I'll be on look-out." He opened the front door.

"Wait, Naruto, we're sorry! Please don't-" Sakura called out.

_**SLAM**_

"...Leave." Sakura muttered, now feeling seriously miserable as she looked down at the medkit in her hands.

There was a moment of silence before Sasuke broke it.

"Well what are you all waiting for? Hurry up and get the other medpacks to treat my hand already!" He snapped as he head into the kitchen. "Just forget Naruto! Kakashi-sensei can deal with him later!"

Sakura, Tazuna and Tsunami all stood, slightly stunned at his attitude.

"How the hell did you three ever get to be a team?" Tazuna asked Sakura.

"..." Sakura couldn't bring herself to answer as she went to her backpack and pulled out her medpack, adding it to the one Naruto had given her.

"When will your sensei be back?" Tsunami asked, taking one of the medpacks from Sakura.

"Day after tomorrow." Sakura replied dully, remembering the conversation she had with the jounin right before he had taken off.

"Excuse me for asking, but were you two really going to steal Naruto-kun's belongings?" Tsunami asked, making Sakura give her a weird look.

"No. It was going to be a... prank." Sakura said slowly, instantly not liking the sound of her own excuse. Sasuke's excuse. '_That lesson he tried to impart on Sasuke-kun and I... Could that be considered a prank? Even if it did have a point to it?_' She looked down at the medpack in her hands again. '_It was so completely convincing. How far ahead of us is Naruto really?_'

"Hey! What's taking you people!?" Sasuke called angrily from the kitchen, making Sakura flinch slightly.

'_I know Sasuke-kun is just upset for being injured, but... Naruto said he hadn't trapped the kunai. But if not, what happened?_' Sakura frowned to herself as she and Tsunami entered the kitchen and went to work on Sasuke's burnt hand.

Everyone stayed quiet afterwards, but Sakura was constantly nagged by a feeling that there had been several very important facts about what had happened that afternoon that she had missed. It would be quite some time before she ever found out or realized what they were.

* * *

Out a ways in the woods, Naruto was sitting next to a small firepit he had made up. Having already set some traps, he was now sitting in the dark, sewing up his orange jacked by the light of his small campfire.

"**With the way those two maggots have been behaving, it would be safer in the interests of the mission to just tie them up and leave them in the closet or something until the whole thing is done with.**" Kyaena growled, having laid herself out on her comfy pillows as Naruto worked.

'_And what about the next mission? And the next after that?_' Naruto muttered back, only half listening. His mind was on something else.

"**They can either shape up or-**" Kyaena paused in her angry rant. "**What is it?**"

'_What __**did**__ happen to Sasuke?_' Naruto's rare use of the Uchiha's name the indication of how distracted he was. He glanced at his red kunai that was sitting on the ground next to the fire to dry after he had given it a quick scrub to make sure none of Sasuke's blood lingered on it. '_From his injury, it looked like he simply went to pick up my kunai, and got burned. But I didn't trap it or anything like they thought. So what caused it?_' He wondered, taking a moment to make sure his repair work on his jacket was going correctly.

"**Don't know, don't care.**" Kyaena grumbled, her tails making her Naruto plushy doll dance on her head. "**He was probably just jealous of the damage from your fire jutsu earlier, and tried to do something without knowing what he was doing.**" She growled.

'_No, I don't think so. He may be a jerk, but he's not __**that **__careless._' Naruto wondered. Finally satisfied with his patchwork job, he gave his jacket's shoulder a few careful tugs to make sure it was secure before putting it on.

"**You realize they're going to tell the brainless Cyclops when he gets back, and will try to get you in trouble.**" Kyaena said, more than a little annoyed that even when Naruto is outside of Konoha, people continue to try to use him as a scapegoat..

'_I'll deal with that when and if it comes up._' Naruto poked at the fire a little. '_But, that aside for the moment, I think we need to continue our discussion about what will happen when we get back to the village. When Kakashi gives his report, you know people are going to want to speak to you, and Hokage-jiji isn't likely to take no for an answer this time._' He sighed.

"**Well, we have a while to think of something, at least while this mission is going on.**" Kyaena shrugged.

'_Yeah. Though I still think using the Transformation Jutsu is the only way at the moment._' Naruto mused, twisting and laying down on his back.

"**And like I said, it most likely won't work. I would have to speak to them myself directly to avoid certain problems, and we're a long ways from figuring out how to release the seal without killing you.**" Kyaena stated firmly.

'_Damn it. Both ways necessary, yet both impossible. If only there was something in-between._' Naruto sighed again, closing his eyes.

"**Yeah.**" Kyaena agreed.

After a few moments, she began humming to ease Naruto to sleep.

* * *

The Next Morning

* * *

Haku walked through the woods of the island, searching for her targets. And he was not happy.

After getting Zabuza back to their current base the day before, after the disastrous fight with the Konoha ninja, they had further refined the plan they had been considering while Haku further treated Zabuza's injuries. They agreed on the plan, just not the timing. Zabuza had ordered her to initiate the plan immediately, while Haku had wanted to wait until Zabuza was at least somewhat recovered. Gato's appearance and attitude that had interrupted their conversation had only made things more tense, even with Haku's normally calm demeanor.

But Zabuza had been adamant, and had ordered Haku out in the morning, leaving him no choice but to leave Zabuza to recover on his own. Haku had at least made sure that she had gotten one of the doctors at the base to keep watch on Zabuza. The man wasn't a ninja, but it was better than nothing.

So as soon as Haku had woken, it was out of the hunter gi and into a more inconspicuous kimono. And now he was searching the island where the bridge builder was supposed to live, looking for him and his ninja bodyguards. She had reluctantly agreed to Zabuza's reasoning that there was no point to delay gathering information, for it would be best to attack the moment that he was healed. Waiting until he was healed to gather information would only make it more likely that the bridge would be completed, which would force them to attack the Leaf-ninja without the advantage of information.

Haku sighed. Find the ninja. Pretend to be a civilian. Gather the needed information on their abilities and weaknesses. Return to Zabuza. Attack when Zabuza was healed.

And if a secure opportunity presents itself, kill whoever of them he could. That part however, was not likely in Haku's opinion.

Headed towards the next village, Haku suspected it would take at least several hours to track down Tazuna's exact location. Imagine her surprise when through the trees, in a small clearing lit by the morning sun, she spotted a boy dressed all in orange asleep on the ground next to a small camp pit.

Knowing that the likelihood of another boy running around in that much orange, let alone one that would be camping out in the woods when the village was so near, was so absurdly ridiculously small, Haku started forward. And the options of the situation ran through his mind.

Option one: Wake the boy and proceed with the infiltration. Option unfavorable due to unknown ability of boy to sense deception. Risk unavoidable if infiltration is to be performed anyway. Presence of jounin Kakashi Hatake also risk of discovery.

Option two: Try to subdue and capture him, take him back to base for interrogation. Returning for further recon to be decided afterward. Option unfavorable due to the perceived power of the boy during previous confrontation. Odds of confrontation better after obtaining at least some information about abilities and team. Infiltration preferred.

Option three: Kill the dangerous blonde right now, dispose of body, continue with efforts of infiltration to the rest of his team. Option unfavorable due to ninja team being put on guard of team member's disappearance, and increased suspicion of a person who attempts to follow them around. Increased chance of infiltration failure, however, neutralization of blonde boy's power may increase chances of successful fight at later time. Lack of information on other young teammates poses possible risk, but is estimated as low at this time. Threat of the sensei, Kakashi Hatake, still present. Abilities of jounin only speculated. However, chance of two-on-one against Kakashi increases chance of successful fight, regardless of information obtained or not.

Although logic seemed to point to option one as the best course of action given existing factors, Haku couldn't get it out of her mind that this lone blonde boy had quite thoroughly outclassed Zabuza when he witnessed their fight before, using only a small number of low level jutsu other than the Shadow Clone Jutsu. She was unsure that he would be able to take on the boy if Zabuza was forced to face Kakashi.

As Haku approached the sleeping boy, the few birds and squirrels, and a lone fox, that had been idling around all took off in various directions. Haku paused to see if the noise and movement of the animals had woken the boy, but it seemed he was still asleep. But when Haku got close enough to really get a good look at him...

It had struck Haku as slightly off that the boy was out in the woods alone. But seeing the tears running off the boys sleeping face, it suddenly didn't seem as suspicious.

Haku stood just several feet away from the blonde boy, looking down at him.

'_What pain do you suffer?_' Haku wondered. '_Is it from your teammates, or something deeper? Is it only now, or have you carried it with you from the past?_' She glanced around, taking in the arrangement of the tiny one-man campsite. There was indication that it was made with easy familiarity. '_So, you are alone then? By choice, or..._' Haku started to approach the last several steps to the sleeping ninja boy. '_If it would end your pain, and save the one that is most important to me..._' She began to reach out with a tense hand, '_Then... Perhaps it is best if I do kill you now..._'

He bent down as her hand reached for the boys throat...

* * *

END OF CHAPTER

* * *

Author's Notes:

So I cliffed it again. So what.

I realize I was a little too obvious in the last chapter about the Zabuza clone and Naruto and all that, but hopefully I at least fooled a few people to think it was Zabuza, if only for a minute or so. Oh well. It was kind of necessary.

Don't think that the posting of this chapter means that my problems have been solved. It just turned out that I had more free time while looking for a job than I thought I would. So again, the next chapter will probably take a long time to put out, especially since it's in the next chapter that things start to divert even further from the canon wave arc.

Due to the chaos in my life at the moment, I'm afraid I haven't had as much clear thought of late as before, and as such, have no real comments about this chapter at this time. Also, I'm sorry, but I am postponing on responding to reviews until the posting of the next chapter so I can clear my head and get things organized a bit.

I hope at least that you'll continue to enjoy my story with what effort I'm able to put into it.

But there is one thing, I looked at the story stat history as well as seeing in my e-mail where notices are send by the site, and noticed that there are many of you wonderful readers that have faved this story, or put it on your alert, BUT HAVE NOT REVIEWED! (cries)

Well, I hope that you might give it some consideration to write some kind of comment, or thought, or something. You never know, I might like what you mention, and include it in the story at some point! So don't be shy, and don't worry, I definitely read every review (what writer wouldn't), but as is evident in my comments of late, responding to them might be hard for me.

Thank you for your time, attention, interest and reviews.

* * *

This chapter edited:

5-22-2013


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